THE  A L DINE  METHOD 


AMANUAL 


Aldine  First  Language  Book 


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ALDINE 
FIRST   LANGUAGE    BOOK 

A    MANUAL    FOR    TEACHERS 


BY 

FRANK   E.  SPAULDING 

SUPERINTENDENT   OF   SCHOOLS,    NEWTON,  MASS. 
AND 

CATHERINE   T.   BRYCE 

SUPERVISOR  OF  PRIMARY   SCHOOLS,   NEWTON,   MASS. 


COMPLIMENTS 

OP 

JJEWSON  &  COMPANY 


NEWSON    &    COMPANY 
NEW  YORK 


<? 


.0' 


Copyright,  1913,  by 
NEWSON  &  COMPANY. 


All  rights  reserved, 

1377    GHt 

K.D-L1NQUIST 

EDUCATION  DEPT. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Introduction i 

Chapter  One 7 

I.     Reading 8 

II.     Teaching  Pupils  to  Study 9 

III.  Conversation:  Questions  and  Answers       .         .         .11 

IV.  Dramatizing  the  Fable,  "Grand  Tusk  and  Nimble"  .  14 
V.     Oral  Reproduction  of  the  Story           ....  16 

VI.     Finishing  a  Story       .         .         .         .         .         .         .18 

VII.     Oral  Reproduction  and  Completion  of  Uncompleted 

Story .........  20 

VIII.     Telling  Original  Stories 21 

IX.     Reading  a  Story  in  a  Picture 23 

Supplementary  Work 27 

X.     More  Picture  Stories 28 

XI.     Learning  to  Describe          .         .         .         .         .  31 

XII.     Games  of  Description 31 

XIII.  Getting  the  Story  from  the  Poem,  "The  Mountain 

and  the  Squirrel "        ......  32 

XIV.  Telling  the  Story  of  the  Poem 34 

Chapter  Two 35 

I.     Reading    .         . 36 

II.     Studying  the  Story  of  the  Linden       ....  37 

III.  Conversation  and  Dramatizing  .....  38 

IV.  Oral  Reproduction  of  the  Story  of  the  Linden     .         .  42 
V.     Telling  True  Stories  .......  44 

VI.     Sentences,  Capitals,  Statements,  and  Periods     .         .  46 
VII.     Copying  Sentences  to  Learn  the  Use  of  Capitals  and 

Period 48 

VIII.     Studied  Dictation  for  Drill  in  Use  of  Capitals  and 

Period 50 

iii 


R7K7QA 


iv  CONTENTS 


PACU 


IX.     Unstudied  Dictation  to  Test  the  Use  of  Capitals 

and  Period 52 

X.     Questions  and  the  Question  Mark  ....  53 
XI.     Copying  Questions  to  Learn  the  Use  of  Capitals 

and  the  Question  Mark  53 

XII.     Using  Capitals  and  the  Period         ....  54 

XIII.  Picture  Stories 54 

Supplementary  Work 56 

XIV.  More  Picture  Stories       .        .        .        ...  58 

Supplementary  Work 59 

XV.     Telling  True  Stories 59 

XVI.     Studying  the  Poem,  "Spring  Waking"  .         .         .  60 

XVII.     Part  Reading  and  Dramatizing  the  Poem         .         .  61 

XVIII.     Learning  to  Tell  a  Story 62 

XIX.     Oral  Reproductions .63 

Chapter  Three 64 

I.     Reading  the  Story,  "Mabel  and  the  Fairy  Folk"    .  65 

II.     Dramatizing  "Mabel  and  the  Fairy  Folk"      .         .  67 

III.  Oral  Questions 68 

Supplementary  Work 70 

IV.  Writing  Questions  .         .         .         .         .  70 

Supplementary  Work 71 

V.     How  Titles  are  Written 72 

VI.     Copying  a  Story 72 

VII.*   Dictation:  "  The  Trees  and  the  Woodcutter "        .  7^ 

VIII.     Copying  Titles 74 

Supplementary  Work 75 

IX.     Writing  Titles  from  Dictation          ....  75 

Supplementary  Work  ......  75 

X.     Giving  Titles  to  Pictures 76 

XL     Picture  Stories 76 

Supplementary  Work 78 

XII.     More  Picture  Stories 78 

XIII.  Telling  True  Stories 80 

XIV.  A  Class  Exercise  in  Written  Reproduction      .         .  80 

Supplementary  Work  ......  84 

XV.     Copying  Story  from  the  Board         ....  84 


CONTENTS  v 

PAGE 

XVI.     Studying  a  Poem 84 

XVII.     Writing  a  Stanza  from  Memory       ....  85 

Chapter  Four 86 

I.     Study  and  Oral  Reproduction  of  the  Fable,  "  The 

Four  Oxen " 87 

Supplementary  Work  ......  89 

II.     Their  and  There 89 

Supplementary  Work  ......  90 

III.  Writing  the  Story,  u  The  Four  Oxen"    ...  91 

Supplementary  Work 94 

IV.  The  Use  of  Capitals  in  Writing  the  Names  of  Per- 

sons            94 

V.     The  Game  of  Names 95 

VI.     Writing  Names .96 

Supplementary  Work 96 

VII.     Copying 96 

VIII.     Dictation 97 

IX.     The  Use  of  Two,  Too,  and  To         ....  97 
Supplementary  Work  .         .         .                  .         -99 
X.     Dictation  to  Drill  and  Test  the  Use  of  Too,  To, 

Their,  and  There 99 

Supplementary  Work  .         .         .         .         .         .100 

XI.     Enlarging  a  Story  for  Dramatizing  ;  Pupils1  Prepara- 
tory Study 101 

XII.     Enlarging  a  Story  for  Dramatizing;  Class  Exercise  102 

XIII.  Dramatizing  the  Story,  "The  First  Buttercups"      .  104 

Supplementary  Work 105 

XIV.  Picture  Stories 105 

Supplementary  Work  .         .         .         .         .         .105 

XV.     More  Picture  Stories 106 

Supplementary  Work 106 

XVI.     Telling  True  Stories 107 

XVII.     Studying  a  Poem 107 

XVIII.     Telling  a  Story  from  a  Poem 107 

Chapter  Five 109 

I.     Reading          ........  109 

II.     Studying  the  Story,  «  The  Little  White  Flower  "     .  no 


vi  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

III.  Conversation  and  Dramatizing in 

IV.  Oral  Reproduction 113 

V.     Quotations         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .     113 

Supplementary  Work 116 

VI.     Copying  to  Learn  the  Writing  of  Quotations      .         .116 
VII.     Dictation  to  Teach  the  Writing  of  Quotations    .         .     117 

VIII.     Finishing  a  Story  Orally 122 

Supplementary  Work 124 

IX.  Finishing  a  Story  in  Writing 124 

Supplementary  Work 125 

X.     Words  that  can  be  Used  in  Place  of  Said  .         .         .125 
XI.     Questions  for  You      .         .         .         .         .         .         .128 

XII.     Picture  Stories 128 

Supplementary  Work 131 

XIII.  More  Picture  Stories 132 

Supplementary  Work      .         .         ...         .         .     136 

XIV.  Studying  a  Poem 136 

Supplementary  Work     .         .         .         .         .  137 

XV.     Memorizing  a  Poem 137 

Chapter  Six 139 

I.     Further  Study  of  Quotations ;  Capital  I      .         .         .     141 
II.     Copying  to  Learn  the  Writing  of  Quotations  and  the 

Capital  I 142 

III.  Pupils'  Study  in  Preparation  for  Dictation  .         .     143 

IV.  Testing  and  Teaching  through  Dictation  .         .         .     145 
V.     Unstudied  Dictation  .......'  146 

VI.     A  Written  Reproduction 147 

VII.     Summary  of  the  Uses  of  Capitals        ....     147 

Supplementary  Work      .         .         .         .         .         .148 

VIII.     A  Written  Exercise  on  the  Use  of  Capitals         .         .     148 
IX.     Reading 148 

X.  Studying  the  Story,  "The  Star  Visitor"     .         .         .149 
XI.     Dramatizing  the  Story,  "The  Star  Visitor"       .         .     149 

XII.     Writing  a  Conversation  in  Dialogue  Form  .         .149 

XIII.  Picture  Stories 150 

Supplementary  Work      .         .         .         .         .         .152 

XIV.  More  Picture  Stories 152 

Supplementary  Work 152 


CONTENTS  vil 

PAGE 

XV.     Studying  a  Poem 155 

XVI.     Telling  the  Story  from  the  Poem      .         .         .         .155 
XVII.     Playing  "  One,  Two,  Three  " 155 

Chapter  Seven 157 

I.     Studying  a  Story  ;  Quotations  Reviewed  ;  Capitals  to 

begin  Days  of  the  Week    .         .         .         .  159 

II.     Dictation,  Studied  and  Unstudied     .         .         .         .161 

III.  The  Days  of  the  Week;    Origin  of  their  Names; 

Abbreviations;  Use  of  Capitals  .         .         .161 

IV.  Original  Exercise  involving  the  Writing  of  the  Days 

of  the  Week  in  Full  and  Abbreviated  .         .162 

Supplementary  Work     .         .         .         .         .         .163 

V.     A  Story  from  a  Rhyme;  The  Apostrophe  to  Denote 

Possession  .         .         .         .         .         .         -163 

Supplementary  Work    .         ..       .         .  .164 

VI.     Reproducing  a  Story  from  Different  Standpoints       .     166 

Supplementary  Work 169 

VII.     Possessives 169 

Supplementary  Work    .         .         .         .         .         .170 

VIII.     Unstudied  Dictation 170 

IX.     Studying  a  Poem      .         .         .         .         .         .         -171 

X.     Dramatizing  the  Poem,  "When  the  Little  Boy  Ran 

Away'1 174 

XI.     Writing  a  Dialogue 175 

Supplementary  Work    .         .         .         .         .         .176 

XII.     Finishing  a  Story      .         .         .'        .         .         .         .     176 

XIII.  A  Picture  Story 177 

Supplementary  Work 179 

XIV.  Writing  a  Story 180 

XV.     More  Picture  Stories 180 

XVI.     Writing  Stories        .         .         .         .         .         .         .182 

XVII.     A  Fairy  WTish 182 

Supplementary  Work 182 

Chapter  Eight 184 

I.     A  Study  of  Fables 184 

Supplementary  Work 189 

II.     The  Study  of  the  Fable,  "  The  Wise  Boar  "      .         .189 


viii  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

III.  Writing  a  Fable  from  Dictation         .         .  191 

IV.  Telling  Original  Fables 191 

V.     Writing  an  Original  Fable 192 

Supplementary  Work    .         .         .         .         .         .  193 

VI.     The  Wise  Judge  :  A  Story  to  be  Read  and  Studied  .  194 

VII.     Dramatizing  "The  Wise  Judge"       .         .         .         .  195 

Supplementary  Work    .         .         .         .         .         .196 

VIII.     Study  of  a  Fable  in  Dialogue  Form  ....  196 

Supplementary  Work 197 

IX.     Writing  a  Story  from  a  Dialogue       ....  197 

X.     Picture  Stories 198 

Supplementary  Work    .         .         .         .         .         .  199 

XI.     More  Picture  Stories 200 

XII.     A  Poem  to  Read  and  Study 200 

XIII.  Copying  the  Poem,  "  Little  Blue  Pigeon  "          .         .  201 

XIV.  Memorizing  the  Poem,  "  Little  Blue  Pigeon  "   .         .  201 

Chapter  Nine 203 

I.     "What  Frightened  the  Animals."  — The  Use  of  the 
Exclamation  Mark  ;  the  Use  of  the  Comma  with 

Noun  of  Direct  Address 203 

Supplementary  Work    ......  204 

II.     A  Copying  Exercise  to  Give  Practice  in  the  Use  of 

the  Comma  Learned  in  the  Last  Lesson     .         .  204 

III.  Studied  Dictation  to  Give  Further  Practice  in  Uses  of 

Exclamation  Mark  and  Comma          .         .         .  204 

IV.  Unstudied  Dictation   to  Test  Use   of  Exclamation 

Mark  and  Comma 206 

Supplementary  Work 208 

V.     The  Months  and  their  Abbreviations        .         .         .  208 

VI.     Writing  the  Names  of  Holidays        ....  208 

VII.     Writing  Dates 209 

Supplementary  Work    .         .         .         .         .         .210 

VIII.     My  Birthday:  Original  Written  Composition    .         .  210 
IX.     How  the  Months  were  Named :  A  Study  and  Writ- 
ing Exercise 212 

X.     A  Written  Exercise  on  the  Months  .         .         .         .213 

XI.     Study  of  Quotations  about  the  Months      .         .         .  213 

XII.     Memorizing  Quotations 213 


CONTENTS 


IX 


PAGE 

XIII.  Picture  Stories 214 

XIV.  More  Picture  Stories 215 

Supplementary  Work  .         .         .         .         .         .216 

XV.     Review  of  the  Uses  of  Capitals  and  Punctuation 

Mafks 216 

XVI.     Studied  Dictation 216 

XVII.     Writing  the  Ending  of  a  Story        .         .         .         .217 
Supplementary  Work 217 

Chapter  Ten 218 

I.     "For  the  King" 218 

II.     Studying  the  Story 219 

III.  Dramatizing  the  Story    ......  220 

IV.  Oral  Reproduction  of  the  Story       .         .         .         .221 
V.     Why  Marks  of  Punctuation  are  Used       .         .         .221 

Supplementary  Work  ......  223 

VI.     A  Fable  to  Study  and  Copy 224 

VII.     Writing  a  Fable  from  Dictation      ....  224 

VIII.     Telling  Original  Fables 225 

Supplementary  Work 226 

IX.     Writing  Original  Fables 226 

Supplementary  Work 227 

X.     Contractions,  Don't,  Doesn't 227 

XI.     A  Contraction  that  is  always  Wrong,  Ain't      .         .  228 

XII.     The  Exclamation  Mark 229 

XIII.  Writing  Exclamations     ......  230 

XIV.  Picture  Stories 230 

XV.     "The  Dumb  Soldier" 231 

XVI.     "The  Lost  Doll" 234 

XVII.     Writing  the  Stories  of  the  Dumb  Soldier  and  the 

Lost  Doll 235 

Supplementary  Work  ..'....  235 

XVIII.     Writing  True  Stories -235 

Chapter  Eleven .        .        .237 

I.     Making  a  Story  from  an  Outline      ....     237 

II.     Writing  a  Story  from  an  Outline     ....     240 

III.     "The  King's  Dream" 243 


x  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

IV.     Dramatizing  the  Story    ......  244 

V.     Oral  Reproduction  of  the  Story       ....  244 

Supplementary  Work  ......  245 

VI.     Dates 246 

VII.     Writing  Dates  from  Dictation  ....  246 

VIII.     How  to  Write  a  Letter 247 

IX.     Letter  Writing  {Continued)    .....  249 
X.     Answering  a  Letter         .         .         .         .         .         .251 

XI.     Writing  a  Letter  to  a  Friend 251 

XII.     Answering  a  PYiend's  Letter 252 

XIII.  A  Fable  to  Study 252 

XIV.  Writing  a  Fable  from  Dictation      ....  253 
XV.     Making  New  Fables 253 

XVI.     Writing  a  Fable 255 

Supplementary  Work 256 

XVII.     "America"     ........  257 

Supplementary  Work 258 

XVIII.     Writing  "  America "  from  Memory .         .         .         .  258 

XIX.     Picture  Stories         .......  259 

Supplementary  Work 259 

XX.     More  Picture  Stories 259 

Chapter  Twelve 260 

I.     Suggestions  for  Using  the  Stories  and  Rhymes        .  260 

II.     Poems  for  Additional  Work 269 

III.     Books 272 


INTRODUCTION 

A  traveler  crossing  a  plain  in  India  saw  at  a 
distance  a  slave  who  was  busy  drawing  a  bucket 
from  a  well.  The  traveler  approached  the  well, 
hoping  to  get  a  drink.  On  reaching  it  he  saw,  to 
his  surprise,  that  the  bucket  came  to  the  top  of  the 
well  empty.  Again  and  again  the  slave  let  down 
the  bucket,  and  ever  it  came  to  the  top  empty. 

"  Hold  !  "  cried  the  traveler  at  length.  "  Do  you 
not  see  that  the  well  is  empty?  In  order  to  get 
water  from  the  well,  you  must  either  fill  it  from  the 
reservoirs  on  the  hills  or  dig  down  till  you  reach 
the  natural  springs  in  the  earth." 

This  little  story  well  symbolizes  much  that  is 
called  language  work  —  routine  efforts  to  draw  from 
the  shallow  surface  of  the  child's  mind  full  meas- 
ures of  thought  and  feeling,  efforts  that  we  often 
thoughtlessly  allow  to  become  ends  in  themselves. 
Like  the  slave  with  his  bucket,  we  go  through  the 
motions ;  we  draw  from  our  pupils  words,  sentences, 
paragraphs,  and  punctuation  marks,  but  they  are 
empty.  And  they  will  continue  to  be  as  empty  as 
the  slave's  bucket  until  we  change  our  procedure. 

But  the  story  does  more  than  symbolize  our 
futile  efforts ;  it  suggests  to  us,  as  did  the  traveler 
to  the  slave,  what  we  must  do  if  we  would  see  our 
efforts  crowned  with  success.     We  must  see  to  it 


2  INTRODUCTION 

that  the  sources  from  which  we  attempt  to  draw  are 
well  supplied;  we  must  see  to  it  that  the  child  con- 
tains—  has  command  of  —  something  expressible 
before  we  attempt  to  draw  anything  forth.  The 
slave  was  told  to  supply  his  well  either  by  drawing 
from  the  reservoirs  on  the  hills  or  by  sinking  the 
well  down  to  the  natural  springs.  We  must  supply 
the  child  freely  from  both  sources.  We  must  open 
the  ways  for  an  unfailing  supply  of  language  ma- 
terial from  the  "reservoirs  on  the  hill," — the  reser- 
voirs of  fable,  fairy  tale,  legend,  myth,  story,  poem, 
—  literature ;  we  must  also  tap  the  abundant  and  ever 
renewed  resources  of  the  child's  own  experiences, 
the  springs  deep  down  in  the  child's  reactions  to  the 
world  about  him  —  his  ideas,  his  ambitions,  his  feel- 
ings and  emotions.  We  must  see  that  from  these 
two  inexhaustible  sources  the  materials  of  thought 
and  feeling  flow  together  and  make  up  the  abundant 
stream  of  the  child's  mental  life ;  when  we  do  this*, 
we  may  draw  deeply  and  without  disappointment. 

These  books,  this  Manual  and  the  pupils'  book 
accompanying  it, — the  Aldine  First  Language 
Book,  —  have  grown  out  of  many  years  of  experi- 
ment in  teaching  "language,"  so  called,  —  out  of 
experience  in  which  the  reservoirs  of  literature  and 
the  springs  of  the  children's  lives  have  been  tapped 
successfully,  have  been  made  to  flow  together  into 
a  rich  mental  child  life  and  to  flow  out,  on  occa- 
sion, into  correct  forms  of  expression  bearing  the 


INTRODUCTION  -  3 

precious  stamp  of  the  child-author's  individuality. 
The  two  books  together  furnish  and  suggest  abun- 
dant and  varied  material;  they  show  just  how  this 
material  may  be  used  most  successfully  ;  they  are 
full  of  little  plans  and  devices,  every  one  of  them  as 
interesting  to  the  children  as  a  game,  but  every  one 
purposeful  and  effective. 

The  literary  materials  which  the  books  provide  — 
fables,  myths,  legends,  stories  of  all  kinds,  rhymes, 
and  poems  —  the  delight  of  childhood,  answer  three 
tests.  They  are  fully  within  the  range  of  the  child's 
understanding  and  appreciation,  within  his  interests, 
his  experiences,  and  imaginative  powers;  they  are 
of  that  type  of  literature  of  which  some,  at  least, 
must  be  known,  assimilated,  by  every  one  who 
would  appreciate  the  best  in  adult  literature ;  they 
are  expressed  in  forms  that  may  safely  be  followed 
as  models.  Moreover,  although  classic,  little  of  this 
material  has  become  hackneyed  by  general  use  in 
Readers  and  other  texts. 

The  variety  of  ways  in  which  these  materials  are 
presented  arouses  the  keen  interest  of  the  children, 
stimulates  their  thought,  and  quickens  their  whole 
mental  life.  They  discuss  freely,  they  dramatize, 
they  reproduce  orally  and  in  writing,  they  work  over 
into  new  forms,  they  live  and  love  the  contents  of 
stories  and  poems.  These  become  a  precious  and 
an  integral  part  of  the  children's  inmost  lives. 

In  the  light  of  these  childhood  experiences  of  the 


4  INTRODUCTION 

race,  which  are  the  basis  of  much  of  this  literature 
of  childhood,  the  child  becomes  conscious  and 
appreciative  of  his  own  objective  experiences  — 
experiences  which  arise  from  his  association  with 
animate  and  inanimate  nature  —  plants,  animals, 
playmates,  mountains,  valleys  and  streams,  winds, 
sun  and  moon.  The  child  interprets,  appreciates, 
and  assimilates  the  contents  of  literature  only 
through  his  own  experiences,  his  own  feelings  and 
emotions,  that  the  literary  contents  recall  and  arouse. 
On  the  other  hand,  and  just  as  truly,  literature  re- 
veals to  the  child  his  own  experiences,  makes  him 
conscious  of  them  and  their  significance. 

The  method  and  spirit  of  freedom  and  individu- 
ality which  pervades  all  the  work  —  or  shall  we  call 
it  play,  it  is  so  spontaneous? — gives  every  child  a 
confident  control  of  his  own  resources,  his  language 
material.  Expression  in  a  language  exercise  be- 
comes as  natural,  as  abundant,  and  as  individual  as 
on  the  playground. 

With  all  this  attention  to  content,  what  becomes 
of  form,  the  mechanics  of  language  ?  Are  the  uses 
of  the  marks  of  punctuation,  of  capitals,  of  sentences, 
paragraphs,  and  the  rest  neglected  ?  Not  at  all ; 
the  learning  of  correct  language  forms  is  emphasized, 
but  never  as  an  end  in  itself,  always  as  a  means  to 
an  end.  In  the  study  of  the  bits  of  literature  which 
the  child  understands  and  loves,  he  learns  that  cer- 
tain forms  are  necessary  to   the  expression  of  the 


INTRODUCTION  5 

content;  he  learns  to  appreciate  the  significance  of 
forms,  When  he  attempts  to  give  expression  to  his 
own  language  material  —  at  first  taking  a  bit  of 
literature  as  a  model  —  he  uses  the  conventional 
language  forms  with  discriminating  intelligence. 
Forms  are  taught  only  as  the  child  needs  them  to 
use ;  but  once  taught,  it  is  uniformly  insisted  that  he 
shall  always  use  every  language  form  correctly,  and 
that  he  shall  know  why  he  uses  it.  This  conscious 
and  discriminating  use  of  language  forms  from  the 
first  soon  grows  into  right  habits. 

Questions  are  used  throughout  the  pupils'  book, 
for  the  most  part,  not  to  test  the  pupil's  knowledge 
but  to  arouse  and  direct  his  thought.  This  accounts 
for  the  character  of  those  questions,  sometimes  quite 
frequent,  that  strongly  suggest  their  answers.  This 
type  of  question  is  often  necessary  to  insure  the 
trend  of  thought  desired. 

The  division  of  the  chapters  into  sections  marked  by 
Roman  numerals  indicates  relatively  complete  units 
of  work  rather  than  lessons.  Many  of  these  units  can 
be  completed  in  a  single  exercise ;  some  will  require 
two,  three,  or  even  more  periods.  The  time  required 
to  cover  a  section  or  a  chapter  will  vary  much,  of 
course,  with  different  classes  and  different  teachers. 

Between  the  minimum  amount  of  work  that  must 
be  done  and  the  maximum  that  may  be  done  in  the 
completion  of  the  pupils'  book  there  is  a  margin 
wide  enough  to  meet  all  the  varying  conditions  of 


6  INTRODUCTION 

time  usually  devoted  to  language  and  the  varying 
abilities  of  teachers,  classes,  and  individual  pupils. 
Carefully  timed  experience  shows  that  the  average 
class  devoting  two  or  three  periods  a  week  to  lan- 
guage can  cover  the  minimum  requirements  —  that 
is,  the  regular,  omitting  all  supplementary,  work  — 
in  two  years,  while  the  exceptional  child,  giving  a 
period  a  day  to  language,  for  the  same  length  of 
time,  will  hardly  exhaust  the  possibilities  both  of 
the  regular  and  the  supplementary  work.  With  the 
same  number  of  language  periods  per  week  for  the 
two  years,  the  first  five  chapters  should  be  com- 
pleted the  first  year ;  the  sixth  chapter  may  also  be 
covered.  In  either  case,  the  second  year's  work 
should  begin  with  Chapter  Six. 

The  pupils'  book  is  designed  strictly  for  the  pupils' 
use  ;  it  is  addressed  to  the  pupil,  every  line  of  it ;  it 
speaks  to  the  pupil.  It  is  a  book  for  the  pupil  to 
study  and  understand  himself.  This  does  not  mean 
that  the  teacher  must  give  no  aid.  On  the  contrary, 
the  teacher  should  help  the  pupil  to  use  his  book, 
teach  him  how  to  study,  make  him  independent  as 
early  and  as  fully  as  possible.  The  directions  and 
suggestions  given  to  the  pupils  are  made  as  simple 
and  as  clear  as  possible.  They  must  be  taught  to 
read,  to  understand,  and  to  carry  them  out.  They 
should  be  given  whatever  help  they  really  need  in 
this,  but  no  more.  Learning  to  use  their  books  is 
an  important  part  of  their  language  work. 


TEACHER'S    MANUAL 


CHAPTER   ONE 

Before  taking  up  the  first  lesson  with  the  children, 
the  teacher  should  make  herself  entirely  familiar 
with  the  whole  chapter,  as  given  in  the  pupils'  book 
and  in  this  Manual,  that  she  may  at  the  outset  get 
fully  into  the  spirit  of  the  work,  appreciate  the  pur- 
pose of  the  chapter  as  a  whole  and  of  every  lesson, 
and  see  the  mutual  relations  of  the  lessons.  The 
following  brief  summary  may  be  helpful. 

The  general  purposes  of  the  chapter,  which  con- 
sists entirely  of  oral  work,  are  to  give  the  pupils 
something  interesting  to  think  and  to  talk  about ; 
to  get  them  to  think  their  own  thoughts  freely  and 
to  express  their  thoughts  in  their  own  language; 
and  to  establish  in  the  schoolroom  informal,  friendly, 
cooperative  relations  between  pupils  and  between 
pupils  and  teacher. 

In  the  carrying  out  of  these  general  purposes, 
definite  and  important  beginnings  are  made  in  sev- 
eral kinds  of  exercises  which  will  be  carried  on  and 
developed  throughout  the  book.  Chief  among  them 
are  these: 


8  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

1.  Expressive  reading. 

2.  Learning  how  to  study  so  as  to  get  out  the  full 
meaning  of  printed  thoughts  and  feelings. 

3.  Practice  in  the  vivid  recall,  the  mental  imaging  of 
events  and  actors  about  whom  a  story  has  been  read  ;  con- 
versing freely  about  them,  using  the  language  of  the  actors, 
representing  them. 

4.  Learning  to  dramatize,  to  turn  a  story  into  dramatic 
form  and  to  act  it  out. 

6.  Reproducing  in  the  child's  own  words  and  manner 
the  essential  ideas  of  a  story  that  has  been  learned. 

6.  Making  an  appropriate  ending  to  an  unfinished  story. 

7.  Telling  original  stories. 

8.  Reading  stories  in  pictures. 

9.  Learning  to  describe. 

10.  Studying  a  poem  :  turning  the  ideas  into  story  and 
into  dramatic  form. 

I  (i).     Reading* 

Read  with  the  pupils  the  fable,  "  Grand  Task  and  Nimble." 

This  reading  must  be  full  of  life  and  interest; 
it  must  be  marked  with  discriminating  expression. 

*  Each  section  of  each  chapter  of  this  Manual  marked  with  a  Roman 
numeral  refers  to  the  section  identically  marked  in  the  corresponding  chapter 
of  the  pupils'  book,  the  Aldine  First  Language  Book.  The  number  in  the 
parenthesis  following  the  Roman  numeral  in  this  Manual  indicates  the  page 
in  the  pupils'  book  on  which  the  corresponding  section  may  be  found.  The 
titles  given  to  corresponding  sections  in  the  Manual  and  in  the  pupils'  book 
are  not  always  the  same. 

A  section  should  be  considered  a  unit  rather  than  a  lesson.  No  section 
will  require  less  than  a  lesson  period;  some  may  require  several  lesson 
periods,  depending  upon  circumstances.      (See  Introduction,  p.  5.) 


TEACHING  PUPILS   TO  STUDY  9 

The  actors  and  events  of  the  story  are  rich  in 
contrasts.  These  contrasts,  —  the  slow,  colossal 
bulk  and  pride  of  the  elephant  meeting  the  little, 
alert,  agile  form  and  intense  pride  of  the  mon- 
key, both  of  these  presenting  themselves  before  the 
calm,  dignified,  wise  owl,  the  joyful  confidence  of 
the  elephant  and  the  terrified  despair  of  the  monkey 
at  the  river,  the  helplessness  of  the  elephant  and  the 
efficiency  of  the  monkey  at  the  mango  tree,  —  these 
contrasts  must  be  made  to  stand  out,  clear-cut. 
This  can  be  done  through  the  voice,  the  bearing,  the 
expression  of  the  countenance.  The  one  aim  now 
is  to  read  this  story  so  well  that  every  child  will  be 
filled  with  its  meaning,  will  feel  with  every  actor  in 
it,  will  live  through  every  incident.  A  single  read- 
ing will  hardly  accomplish  this ;  parts  will  need  to 
be  reread  again  and  again,  by  the  teacher  and  by 
different  pupils,  until  the  best,  the  most  appropriate 
rendering  has  been  secured.  No  perfunctory  reading 
of  one  pupil  after  another,  merely  for  the  purpose  of 
giving  all  a  fair  part  in  the  exercise,  no  rereading  that 
serves  only  to  fill  up  the  time  allotted,  will  suffice. 

II  (3).     Teaching  Pupils  to  Study 
1.  Reread  the  fable,  "  Grand  Tusk  and  Nimble." 

A  single,  uninterrupted  reading  by  the  teacher, 
by  a  pupil,  or  by  five  pupils,  each  reading  one  part, 
should  be  so  well  done  that  every  pupil  will  be  tin- 
gling with  desire  for  expression. 


10  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

2.   Teach  the  pupils  to  study  the  fable 

Begin  by  asking  them  some  of  the  easier  questions 
in  their  book,  under  Studying  the  Story,  "  Grand 
Tusk  and  Nimble"  such  as : 

Why  was  the  elephant  called  Grand  Tusk? 

Why  was  the  monkey  called  Nimble? 

Where  did  the  owl  live? 

How  did  the  elephant  and  the  monkey  cross  the  river? 

These  questions  should  be  asked  by  the  teacher 
and  answered  by  the  pupils  with  all  books  closed. 
Questions  and  answers  should  spring  from  the  vivid 
vision  of  the  story,  with  all  its  actors,  scenes,  and 
events,  as  it  fills  the  minds  of  teacher  and  children. 

With  their  interest  keen,  have  pupils  open  books 
to  the  section,  Studying  the  Story,  "  Grand  Tusk 
and  Nimble"  (p.  3).  Show  them  in  detail  how  to 
study  as  their  book  directs.  This  is,  quite  probably, 
the  first  lesson  they  have  ever  had  in  studying ;  it  is 
of  the  utmost  importance.  Learning  how  to  study, 
and  forming  the  habit  of  studying  independently, 
are  fundamental  to  all  sound  advancement  in  lan- 
guage or  in  any  other  subject.  Help  them  patiently, 
with  individual  discrimination,  giving  each  one  skill- 
fully, by  suggestion  or  by  direct  information,  just  the 
aid  he  needs,  and  no  more.  Each  succeeding  lesson 
of  this  kind  should  require  less  help  from  the  teacher, 
until  the  pupils  become  able  to  go  about  the  study 
of  such  lessons  quite  by  themselves,  intelligently  and 
effectively. 


CONVERSATION:    QUESTIONS  AND   ANSWERS      n 

Have  the  children  first  read  the  directions  about 
answering  the  questions,  sentence  by  sentence,  and 
make  sure  that  they  realize  what  every  statement 
means.  Then  have  them  read  and  answer  the  ques- 
tions one  by  one,  as  though  they  were  studying 
from  the  book  alone.  See  that  they  follow  the 
directions  in  doing  this.  A  few  of  the  easier  ques- 
tions may  be  left  for  them  to  answer  to  themselves 
in  the  short  study  period  that  should  immediately 
follow  this  exercise.  In  this  study  period,  each 
child  should  answer  to  himself  every  question  in 
order,  both  those  that  have  already  been  gone  over 
in  this  class  study  and  those  that  were  omitted. 
See  that  the  children  understand  the  directions 
about  bringing  a  picture  and  thinking  of  questions 
that  they  would  like  to  ask. 

Ill  (6).     Conversation  :  Questions  and  Answers 

The  immediate  dominant  purpose  of  this  con- 
versation exercise  on  the  fable,  Grand  Tusk  and 
Nimble,  is  to  prepare  the  pupils  for  the  dramatization 
and  the  reproduction  of  the  story  which  are  to  fol- 
low in  succeeding  lessons.  To  carry  out  this  pur- 
pose, the  characters  and  places  in  the  story  must  be 
recalled  and  described  vividly  and  clearly,  the  events 
must  be  reproduced  and  seen  distinctly  in  the  order 
of  their  occurrence.  To  effect  this  orderly  recall 
and  clear  description,  the  teacher's  questions  must 
be  systematic,  progressive,  and  pointed.     She  must 


12  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

herself  avoid  and  discourage  in  her  pupils  all  irrele- 
vant questions  and  remarks.  The  whole  exercise 
should  give  excellent  training  in  orderly  thinking 
and  clear  expression.  It  will  test  the  success  of  the 
pupils'  study  period,  and  prepare  them  to  study  the 
next  similar  exercise  more  successfully. 

Substantially  the  following  questions  should  be 
asked,  and  asked  in  about  the  order  given.  These 
questions  include  the  questions  that  the  pupils 
studied  in  preparation  for  this  exercise.  Many 
other  questions  may  suggest  themselves  ;  only  such 
as  are  consistent  with  the  continuity  of  thought 
should  be  asked.  Do  not  forget  to  call  for  questions 
from  pupils.  If  they  have  no  opportunity  —  if  they 
are  not  required  —  at  this  exercise  to  ask  any  of  the 
questions  that  they  were  directed  to  think  of  in  their 
study  period,  they  will  prepare  none  next  time. 
Suppress  at  once  or  hold  in  abeyance  all  questions 
that  tend  to  divert  the  thought  from  the  orderly 
essentials  of  the  story.  If  this  is  skillfully  done,  the 
questioner  will  not  be  discouraged,  but  he  and  all  the 
class  will  be  given  a  lesson  in  discriminating  between 
the  relevant  and  the  irrelevant,  —  a  power  indispen- 
sable to  effective  thinking. 

The  teacher  should  prepare  herself  so  thoroughly 
for  this  exercise  that  she  will  need  no  book.  With 
the  story  held  vividly  in  mind,  the  questions  will 
come  easily  and  in  the  right  order.  Of  course,  the 
pupils  are  without  open  books. 


CONVERSATION:    QUESTIONS   AND   ANSWERS      13 

People  in  the  story. 

Why  was  the  elephant  called  Grank  Tusk?  Have  you  ever 
seen  an  elephant?  (Show  pictures  of  elephants  children  have 
brought,  and  ask  the  children  to  point  out  tusks.  Have  a  picture 
ready  to  show  in  case  no  child  has  remembered  to  bring  one. 
Keep  for  use  in  Section  VIII  all  pictures  of  elephants  that  you  can 
collect.)  Why  was  the  monkey  called  Nimble?  What  does 
nimble  mean?  Have  you  ever  seen  a  monkey?  Where?  What 
did  he  do  that  proved  he  was  nimble?  Where  do  monkeys  and 
elephants  live  when  they  are  wild  ?  (The  story  does  not  tell  this, 
but  a  few  words  of  description  of  an  Indian  forest  or  jungle  will 
make  the  story  more  real  to  the  children.)  Have  you  ever  seen 
an  owl?  Where?  If  not  an  owl,  have  you  ever  seen  a  picture  of 
one  ?    What  kind  of  eyes  did  he  have  ?     Did  he  look  wise  ? 

Places  in  the  story. 

Where  do  you  think  the  elephant  and  the  monkey  were  when 
they  began  to  quarrel  ?  To  whose  house  did  they  go?  Where 
did  the  owl  live  ?  After  leaving  the  owl's  house,  where  did  they 
first  stop  ?    What  was  their  next  stop  after  crossing  the  river  ? 

The  talking  in  the  story. 

Who  began  the  quarrel?  What  did  he  say?  Say,  "Behold 
me  !  See  how  big  and  strong  I  am  !"  just  as  you  think  Grand 
Tusk  said  it.  Say,  "  Behold  me  !  See  how  little  and  clever  I 
am  ! "  just  as  you  think  Nimble  said  it.  When  they  asked  the 
owl  which  was  better,  to  be  big  and  strong  or  to  be  little  and 
clever,  what  did  he  tell  them  to  do?  Say  these  words  just  as 
Nimble  said  them  —  that  is,  show  how  frightened  he  was  :  "  Oh, 
I  never  can  cross  that  wide  river.  Let  us  go  back  ! "  What  did 
Grank  Tusk  answer?  What  did  Grand  Tusk  say  when  he  found 
he  could  gather  no  fruit?  Give  Nimble's  answer  just  as  you  think 
he  spoke.  When  Grank  Tusk  and  Nimble  returned  to  the  home 
of  Dark  Sage,  what  questions  did  he  ask  them?  What  did  each 
answer?     What  wise  words  did  Dark  Sage  speak? 


14  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

Something  to  think  about. 

Do  you  think  the  owl  knew  just  what  would  happen  when  he 
sent  Grand  Tusk  and  Nimble  for  the  mangoes,  or  do  you  think 
he  only  wanted  to  get  some  fruit  for  himself?  Was  Dark  Sage 
a  good  name  for  the  old  owl  ? 

IV  (9).     Dramatizing  the  Fable,  "Grand  Tusk  and 
Nimble  " 

The  initiative  in  dramatizing  should  always  be 
taken  by  the  children.  They  will  have  to  learn 
how  to  plan  and  carry  out  a  play ;  but  even  in  this, 
which  is  possibly  their  first  experience,  they  should 
be  allowed  and  encouraged  to  think  out  all  they  can 
for  themselves.  Hence  the  questions  and  sugges- 
tions addressed  directly  to  the  children.  The 
teacher  must  help  them,  in  class  exercise,  to  study 
this  section,  Playing  the  Story,  "  Grand  Tusk  and 
Nimble"  taking  up  question  by  question,  with  their 
books  open  before  them,  much  as  in  the  study  of 
Section  II.  Guide  them  as  much  as  necessary,  but 
let  the  plan  worked  out  for  the  dramatizing  be  really 
the  children's  own.  Where  there  is  opportunity,  as 
in  the  assignment  of  parts,  the  location  and  width  of 
the  river,  the  choice  of  something  for  a  mango  tree, 
encourage  a  variety  of  suggestions,  and  then  let  the 
children  decide,  so  far  as  possible,  on  what  is  best. 

The  imagination  should  be  depended  upon  to 
furnish  nearly  all  the  setting.  Almost  any  place  in 
the  room  will  serve  for  the  scene  of  the  beginning 


DRAMATIZING  15 

of  the  quarrel,  a  dark  corner,  or  closet,  for  the  owl's 
home,  a  five  or  ten  foot  space  between  two  cracks 
in  the  floor  for  the  river;  and  a  chair  or  bench  will 
enable  Nimble  to  climb  the  entirely  imaginary  mango 
tree.  An  imaginary  basket  is  quite  sufficient  for 
the  carrying  of  imaginary  mangoes. 

Have  the  play  follow  immediately  upon  the  prepa- 
ration for  it.  In  the  play,  as  well  as  in  the  prepara- 
tion, encourage  originality  and  initiative.  There  is 
no  value  whatever  in  a  mechanical  dramatization  in 
which  each  actor  remembers  just  what  he  is  to  do 
and  the  exact  words  which  he  is  to  speak.  Each 
one  must  feel,  live,  be,  the  part  he  is  taking ;  then 
he  will  act  and  speak  spontaneously,  naturally,  and 
fittingly.  No  two  children,  playing  in  this  way,  will 
act  and  speak  just  alike  in  the  same  part. 

To  guard  against  mechanical  uniformity  —  a  stiff 
and  wooden  production,  —  which  is  quite  likely  to 
grow  out  of  the  teacher's  desire  to  have  the  play  go 
off  smoothly,  this  very  first  play  should  be  repeated 
several  times,  as  convenient,  but  with  different  pupils 
taking  the  parts.  Each  little  actor  should  always  be 
encouraged  to  play  his  part  as  he  conceives  it,  not 
as  some  one  played  it  before.  This  originality  may 
be  encouraged  by  discussing  the  performances  with 
the  children,  comparing,  commending  excellencies, 
and  suggesting  improvements. 

In  this  first,  as  in  subsequent  plays,  it  will  be  best 
to  have  some  of  the  more  capable  children  give  the 


1 6  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

first  production.  In  repetitions,  less  capable  chil- 
dren should  have  full  opportunity.  It  is  not  wise, 
however,  to  make  up  the  whole  cast  of  second  or 
third  rate  little  players ;  there  should  always  be  at 
least  one  strong  actor  who  will  unconsciously  set  a 
standard  for  the  others. 

It  is  always  to  be  remembered  that  dramatizing 
is  not  an  end  in  itself.  A  finished,  smooth  produc- 
tion, which  has  been  achieved  by  endless  repetition 
and  drill  of  the  selected  few,  while  the  remainder  of 
the  class  have  sat  passively  by,  is  to  be  condemned 
from  every  point  of  view.  The  passive  onlookers 
get  no  benefit  from  it ;  the  participants  get  scarcely 
more.  Dramatizing  must  always  be  treated  as  a 
means  to  an  end.  As  a  means,  rightly  used,  it  is 
quite  likely  to  be  quite  as  efficient  with  those  of 
least  as  with  those  of  most  histrionic  talent. 

Make  the  atmosphere  such  as  to  dispel  all  timidity. 
Make  every  child  feel  like  throwing  himself  freely 
into  his  part.  This  will  aid,  rather  than  hinder, 
good  "discipline." 

V  (9).     Oral  Reproduction  of  the  Story,  "  Grand  Tusk 
and  Nimble" 

The  oral  reproduction  of  a  story  may  be  easy,  or 
it  may  be  difficult ;  it  may  have  much  or  little  edu- 
cational value.  The  mere  verbal  reproduction  of  a 
story,  exactly  or  approximately  as  it  was  heard  or 
read,  is  easy  for  any  one  with  a  good  verbal  memory ; 


ORAL   REPRODUCTION  17 

but  it  is  an  exercise  of  little  value.  The  reproduc- 
tion of  a  story  in  the  reproducer's  own  words,  or  in 
words  that  he  has  made  his  own,  after  every  thought 
and  act  and  event  of  the  original  has  been  assimi- 
lated, is  difficult  and  valuable.  The  children  should 
now  be  well  prepared  for  this  difficult  and  profitable 
kind  of  reproduction.  The  expressive  reading,  the 
study,  and  the  dramatizing  of  the  story,  if  these  ex- 
ercises were  effective  in  themselves,  must  have  con- 
tributed strongly  to  this  end.  The  teacher  must  see 
to  it  that  the  cumulative  effect  of  all  these  exercises 
tells  in  every  child's  reproduction. 

Be  sure  that  the  children  understand  the  directions 
given  them  in  their  book  for  the  immediate  prepara- 
tion for  the  story,  and  that  they  have  time  to  carry 
them  out.  The  story  may  be  reproduced  in  five 
parts,  by  as  many  children,  one  following  the  other 
in  quick  succession,  or  entire  by  a  single  child.  The 
reproduction,  entire  or  in  part,  should  not  be  re- 
peated by  several  children,  just  for  the  sake  of  test- 
ing them  on  it,  or  of  giving  them  an  opportunity; 
every  repetition  should  be  for  a  definite  purpose 
which  every  one  understands,  such  as  a  more  appro- 
priate rendering  of  the  conversation  of  one  of  the 
actors,  greater  fluency,  or  the  omission  of  unneces- 
sary words. 

To  make  this  exercise  as  valuable  as  it  should  be, 
the  teacher  must  have  prep'ared  herself  to  reproduce 
the  story  as  the  children  are  expected  to  reproduce 


1 8  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

it ;  that  is,  not  through  verbal  memory,  but  on  the 
basis  of  assimilation.  She  will  then  be  more  capa- 
ble of  appreciating  the  children's  efforts  and  of 
giving  them  helpful,  constructive  criticism.  At  the 
opportune  occasion,  she  should  give  her  reproduc- 
tion of  the  story,  entire  or  in  part,  not  as  a  form  to 
copy,  but  as  an  inspiration. 

VI  (10).     Finishing  a  Story 

This  lesson  in  the  pupils'  book  is  presented  as 
though  each  pupil  were  expected  to  finish  the  in- 
complete story  for  himself.  This  each  one  should 
be  shown  how  and  helped  to  do.  In  subsequent 
lessons  of  this  kind,  less  and  less  help  will  be  re- 
quired, until  finally  the  pupils  will  be  able  to  com- 
plete stories  entirely  by  themselves  —  and  stories  in 
which  much  more  invention  is  necessary  than  in 
this.  As  this  is  perhaps  their  initial  attempt,  the 
exercise  should  first  be  studied  with  the  pupils 
something  as  follows. 

First,  read  the  story,  as  far  as  given,  with  the 
pupils.  Let  it  be  so  read  that  they  get  fully  into 
the  spirit  of  it.  Make  sure  that  they  recognize  and 
feel  the  similarity  to  the  fable  of  Grand  Tusk  and 
Nimble.  Then  finish  the  story  under  the  guidance 
of  the  questions  and  suggestions  given  in  their 
book.  Give  as  little  direct  aid  as  will  suffice.  By 
skillful  questioning,  selecting,  rejecting,  and  com- 
bining the  contributions  of  one  and  another,  what 


FINISHING  A   STORY  19 

may  be   finally  accepted  as  a  satisfactory   ending 
may  well  contain  only  the  thoughts  of  the  children. 
The  ending,  beyond  that  suggested  in  the  pupils' 
book,  may  be  something  like  this : 

George  knew  he  could  not  run  very  fast,  so  he  said  to  Tom, 
"You  go." 

Never  before  had  Tom  run  so  fast  as  he  did  that  day.  Still,  in 
all  his  haste,  he  had  time  to  think  :  "  I  was  right.  It  is  better  to  be 
quick  than  to  be  strong." 

He  found  the  doctor  at  home,  and  they  hurried  back  to  the  old 
man's  bedside.  The  doctor  knew  just  what  to  give  the  sufferer, 
who  soon  became  better. 

Then  the  doctor  said  to  the  old  lady  :  "  It  is  a  good  thing  for 
you,  my  friend,  that  George  was  strong  enough  to  carry  your  hus- 
band into  the  house  and  that  Tom  could  run  so  fast  to  bring  me 
to  your  aid.  Had  it  not  been  for  these  boys,  I  am  afraid  your 
husband  would  have  died." 

The  boys  looked  at  each  other  and  thought,  "  Sometimes  it 
is  better  to  be  strong,  and  sometimes  it  is  better  to  be  quick." 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  study  and  invention 
together,  one  or  two  of  the  most  capable  of  the 
children  may  try  to  reproduce  the  complete  story, 
with  the  ending  as  worked  out  in  class,  or  with  their 
own.  After  further  study,  for  which  time  should  be 
given,  each  pupil  should  be  prepared  to  reproduce 
the  story  with  the  ending  which  he  has  thought  out. 

Encourage  the  pupils,  in  preparing  themselves 
for  this  next  exercise,  to  think  out,  each  one  for 
himself,  the  ending  to  the  story,  rather  than  to  try 
to  recall  the  ending  worked  out  in  class.  While 
there  is,  obviously,  no  great  opportunity  for  origi- 


20  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

nality,  consistent  with  the  general  harmony  of  the 
completed  story,  every  child's  ending  of  the  story 
should  be  individual  in-some  of  its  details,  as  evidence 
that  he  has  not  simply  memorized  what  others  have 
thought  out.  For  the  child  who  only  so  memorizes, 
the  exercise  has  fallen  short  of  its  purpose  ;  the  child 
has  invented  nothing  for  the  completion  of  the  story, 
but  merely  reproduced  the  completed  story,  the 
first  part  from  the  book,  the  last  from  the  invention 
of  other  children. 

VII  (12).      Oral   Reproduction  and   Completion  of   the 
Uncompleted  Story,  "Strong  and  Quick" 

Some  children  should  tell  the  story  from  the 
beginning;  others  need  only  give  the  ending  sup- 
plied by  the  pupils.  To  avoid  monotonous  uni-' 
formity  of  these  endings,  insist  that  every  child  shall 
make  his  ending  vary  from  others  in  some  notice- 
able respect.  Have  the  children  who  are  listening 
watch  for  this  variation  and  comment  upon  it.  It 
may  well  be  expected  that  some  one's  completion 
of  the  story  —  perhaps  modified  by  the  suggestions 
of  others  —  will  be  more  satisfactory  than  that 
worked  out  together  at  the  last  exercise. 

VIII  (13).     Telling  Original  Stories 

The  children  should  be  able,  and  should  be 
allowed,  to  prepare  their  stories  to  tell  without 
direct  help  from  the  teacher.     Encourage  them  to 


TELLING  ORIGINAL   STORIES  21 

prepare  original  stories,  or  stories  that  they  make 
up  from  the  suggestions  given  them.  No  child 
should  tell  the  story  of  the  blind  men  and  the  ele- 
phant except  as  a  last  resort. 

The  class  exercise  must  not  be  spent  merely  in 
the  telling  of  the  stories,  as  the  children  have  pre- 
pared them.  Every  story  told  should  be  com- 
mented upon.  The  teacher  should  make  her  com- 
ments, and  the  children  should  be  encouraged,  taught, 
to  make  theirs.  These  comments,  for  the  most  part, 
should  be  in  the  form  of  helpful,  encouraging,  discrim- 
inating, appreciative,  constructive  criticism.  It  is 
not  enough  to  remark  that  a  story  is  "good,"  or  "in- 
teresting," or  "flat ";  the  definite  things  about  it  that 
are  good,  that  are  interesting,  should  be  pointed  out ; 
the  reason  for  its  flatness  should  be  made  clear. 

In  the  teacher's  criticism,  particularly  with  begin- 
ners, the  pointing  out  and  the  approval  of  good 
features  should  always  predominate  over  the  atten- 
tion given  to  defects.  This  is  a  principle  whose 
application  is  by  no  means  limited  to  story  telling. 
Children  should  also  be  taught  to  criticize  in  this 
way.  When  this  is  done,  criticism  will  cease  to 
suggest  faultfinding  and  censure. 

In  this,  and  in  similar  exercises  in  story  telling, 
the  teacher  must  keep  ever  in  mind  —  and  keep  also 
in  her  pupils'  minds- — the  main  purpose  in  the  tell- 
ing of  each  story  and  in  the  critical  comments  made 
upon  it.     That  purpose  is  this :  To  help  the  teller 


22  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

and  every  other  pupil  to  tell  a  better  story,  the  next 
time  he  tries,  than  he  otherwise  could.  In  other 
words,  every  story  told  should  be  made  to  yield 
some  definite  suggestion  that  will  be  helpful  to 
every  one  in  the  telling  of  stories.  That  every 
story  told  may  be  made  to  serve  this  purpose  fully, 
the  teacher  must  begin  now,  at  the  very  outset,  to 
treat  the  matter  in  the  way  here  suggested.  Noth- 
ing approaches  nearer  to  mere  time  killing  than  an 
exercise  in  which  one  pupil  after  another  tells  a 
story,  while  all  the  other  pupils  sit  passively  by 
except  as  here  and  there  one  may  be  occasionally 
aroused  by  something  striking  or  of  unusual  interest 
in  the  story.  Every  child  who  is  not  telling  the 
story  should  be  trained  to  listen  attentively,  —  re- 
gardless of  the  interest  or  dullness  of  the  story, —  to 
think  positively  and  discriminatingly,  so  that  when 
the  story  is  ended  he  can  make  definite,  critical 
comments  on  the  performance.  To  develop  this 
power  and  habit  in  children,  the  teacher's  consistent 
example  alone  will  hardly  be  sufficient,  but  it  is 
indispensable ;  it  will  do  more  than  all  else  com- 
bined to  effect  the  desired  result. 

IX  (14).     Reading  a  Story  in  a  Picture 

(Picture  of  children  at  garden  wall,  p.  15) 

To  stimulate  and  at  the  same  time  to  direct  the 
constructive  imagination,  to  loose  the  individual 
powers  of  invention,  to  encourage  real  and  orderly 


READING  A   STORY  IN  A  PICTURE  23 

thought  in  every  young  pupil,  nothing  surpasses  a 
suitable  picture  rightly  used.  To  use  a  picture 
effectively  for  this  purpose  requires  teaching  skill 
and  insight  of  the  highest  order,  especially  in  the 
beginning.  Here  the  teacher's  task  is  that  of  teach- 
ing children  to  read  picture  stories,  not  to  describe 
pictures. 

A  story  picture  contains  a  story  just  as  truly  as 
a  printed  narrative  does.  But  like  the  printed 
page,  the  picture  reveals  its  story  only  to  those  who 
know  how  to  read.  Reading  pictures  is  an  art  to 
be  taught  and  learned  just  as  truly  as  reading 
printed  language  is  an  art  to  be  taught  and  learned. 
Naming  the  objects  in  a  picture,  or  telling  what 
one  sees  in  it,  or  describing  it,  is  not  reading  the 
story  that  it  tells  any  more  than  the  naming  at 
random  of  the  words  in  a  written  narrative  or  de- 
scribing the  way  the  narrative  looks  on  the  page, 
is  reading  the  story  that  the  narrative  contains,  and 
pupils  must  not  be  permitted,  much  less  encouraged, 
to  talk  about  story  pictures  in  this  way.  They 
must  be  taught  to  read  pictures. 

How  can  this  be  done  ?  First  of  all,  the  teacher 
must  know,  or  learn,  how  to  read  pictures  herself, 
how  to  read  them  expressively  and  with  a  touch  of 
originality.  If  you  are  not  accustomed  to  picture 
reading,  you  will  need  to  make  most  thoughtful  and 
careful  preparation  for  these  early  lessons.  In  prep- 
aration for  the  lesson  with  the  garden  wall  picture, 


24  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

see  how  many  distinct  stories  you  can  read  from 
that  picture. 

Obviously,  your  interpretation  of  the  center  of 
interest  in  the  picture  will  determine  the  heart,  the 
essentials  of  the  story ;  all  else  will  be  mere  setting. 
The  center  of  interest  in  the  garden  wall  picture  is 
just  outside  your  range  of  vision.  But  the  boy  on 
the  wall  sees  it.  What  does  he  see  ?  What  is  he 
pointing  at?  Is  it  a  house  on  fire,  a  runaway 
horse,  an  automobile  smash-up,  a  big  ship  on  the 
sea,  a  brass  band,  a  company  of  soldiers,  a  circus 
parade,  an  explosion,  a  race  of  some  kind,  —  foot, 
horse,  boat,  automobile,  —  a  father  or  mother  re- 
turning home  after  a  long  absence,  a  flying  machine 
just  alighting  or  just  arising  from  the  ground,  a 
balloon  landing,  —  or  what  is  it  ?  Whatever  you 
decide  it  is,  that  will  determine  the  story  that  you 
will  read  from  the  picture.  The  setting,  which  in- 
cludes the  introduction  and  the  conclusion,  must  be 
consistent  with  the  heart  of  the  story  and  with  what 
the  picture  plainly  shows.  The  whole  story  —  in- 
troduction, heart,  and  conclusion — should  be  brief 
and  pointed. 

Think  out  in  some  detail  several  stories  that  you 
might  read  from  this  picture.  Tell  or  write  out 
one  or  two  of  them.  If  you  start  with  the  assumption 
that  the  boy  on  the  wall  sees  a  circus  parade,  perhaps 
you  will  read  a  story  from  the  picture  something 
like  the  following : 


READING  A   STORY  IN  A  PICTURE  25 


The  Circus  Parade 

One  morning  in  June,  Tom,  Ned,  Mary,  and  Baby  were  playing 
in  the  garden.  A  ladder  was  leaning  against  the  garden  wall. 
Tom  climbed  to  the  top. 

At  once  he  cried,  "  Oh,  I  see  a  big  circus  parade  !  There  is 
an  elephant  and  a  camel  and  a  clown  and  ever  so  many  horses  ! 
Hurry,  come  up  !" 

Ned  helped  Baby  and  Mary  to  climb  the  ladder,  and  soon  they 
were  all  seated  on  the  wall. 

The  circus  parade  came  nearer.  It  marched  right  by  the 
garden.  The  children  watched  all  the  queer  animals  until  they 
had  passed. 

"  What  a  grand  parade  !  "  cried  Tom.  "  Let  us  go  in  and  ask 
mother  to  take  us  to  the  circus  this  afternoon." 

Neither  this  story  nor  any  other  of  the  many 
possible  stones  which  you  have  found  the  picture  to 
contain  is  to  be  imposed  or  intruded  on  the  children 
when  you  take  up  the  study  of  the  picture  with 
them  to  teach  them  to  read  it.  Your  ample  prepara- 
tion should  fit  you  at  once  to  follow  the  lead  of  the 
children  with  confidence,  and  at  the  same  time  so  to 
direct  their  thought  that  an  orderly  and  consistent 
story  will  result. 

Study  with  the  children  the  questions  in  their 
book.  Hold  them  always  to  the  point  to  be  brought 
out  by  any  question  or  group  of  questions. ,  Help 
the  children  to  answer,  skillfully  suggest,  and  direct 
the  answers  to  these  questions,  as  may  be  necessary, 
but  do  not  answer  the  questions  for  the  children. 


26  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

The  exercise,  to  serve  its  purpose,  must  enlist  the 
mental  activity  of  the  children  —  their  constructive 
imagination,  their  powers  of  inference  and  reason- 
ing; accepted  by  them  in  a  state  of  passive  recep- 
tivity, the  exercise  is  valueless.  Of  course  the 
degree  of  activity  and  originality  will  vary  greatly 
from  child  to  child;  but  every  child  should  show 
some  touch  of  independent  imagination  in  response 
to  the  questions  concerning  the  center  of  interest  in 
the  picture.  Encourage  great  variety  of  replies  to 
these  questions,  but  insist  that  they  be  in  harmony 
with  what  the  picture  plainly  reveals.  For  example, 
these  are  not  satisfactory  answers  to  the  question 
concerning  what  the  boy  on  the  wall  sees :  "  a  robin," 
"  a  horse,"  "  a  boy,"  "  a  dog,"  "  a  house."  Why  not  ? 
Because  such  commonplace  things  would  not  excite 
the  children  as  they  are  obviously  excited.  Refuse 
such  answers  and  be  sure  that  the  children  under- 
stand why  you  refuse  them. 

By  a  little  informal  dramatizing,  get  the  children 
thoroughly  aroused  and  into  the  spirit  of  the  story 
that  must  be  told.  If  the  boy  on  the  wall  is  sup- 
posed to  see  a  balloon  descending,  let  a  child  imi- 
tate his  look  of  excitement  and  gestures  as  he  rushes 
to  a  window,  climbs  up  on  a  chair  (ladder),  looks 
and  points  off,  and  let  him  cry  out,  "  Oh,  look,  look, 
the  balloon,  the  balloon  !  "  Let  the  other  children 
answer,  "  Where  ?     Where  ?     Let  me  see,"  etc. 

From  the  variety  of  answers  that  you  get  con- 


READING   A   STORY  IN  A  PICTURE  27 

cerning  the  center  of  interest,  select  one  with  the 
approval  of  the  children.  With  this  as  a  center 
construct  out  of  the  children's  answers  to  other 
questions  a  brief,  harmonious  story,  taking  care  that 
the  children  understand  every  step  as  fully  as  possi- 
ble and  that  they  be  given  the  feeling  of  cooperat- 
ing. Of  course  the  resulting  story  will  not  express 
any  considerable  amount  of  the  originality  of  any 
single  child ;  yet  through  the  process  of  working 
out  stories  together  in  this  way  each  child  will  soon 
learn  how  to  read  a  story  from  a  picture  all  alone 
and  to  put  into  it  his  own  conceptions  throughout. 
After  the  story  has  been  worked  out  to  comple- 
tion, have  one  or  more  children  reproduce  it. 

Supplementary  Work 
1.  Dramatizing  the  picture  story. 

Under  your  guidance  encourage  the  children  themselves  to  do 
all  they  can  in  deciding  upon  the  parts,  the  actors,  the  scenery, 
etc.,  and  in  carrying  out  the  dramatization.  See  the  discussion  of 
the  function  and  conduct  of  dramatizing  (p.  14). 

Supposing  the  story  that  you  have  to  dramatize  is  substantially 
that  of  The  Circus  Parade,  these  are  some  of  the  matters  that  the 
children  should  be  led  to  decide  and  carry  out. 

Children  in  the  garden:  How  many?  Who  shall  take  part? 
What  shall  they  be  doing  at  first?  (Digging,  hoeing,  raking, 
gathering  flowers,  playing  tag.) 

What  shall  serve  as  a  wall  and  ladder?  (Window  sill  with  chair 
beside  it.) 

Why  does  Tom  climb  the  ladder?  (Perhaps  he  heard  a  noise 
over  the  wall  that  made  the  children  stop  what  they  were  doing.) 


28  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

What  does  Tom  say  —  exact  words  —  as  he  runs  to  the  ladder? 
What  does  he  call  out  as  he  reaches  the  top  of  the  wall  (window 
sill)  and  looks  and  points  off  (out  of  the  window)  ? 

What  do  the  other  children  cry  out  as  they  reach  the  top  of 
the  wall?  ("Oh,  see  that  big  elephant!"  "Hear  the  lion 
roar  ! "     "Just  look  at  those  funny  camels  !  "  etc.) 

The  dramatization  might  end,  as  the  story  ends,  with  a  proposal 
from  Tom  to  see  mother  about  going  to  the  circus.  (Children 
all  rush  off  to  mother.) 

2.  Working  out  with  the  children  other  stories  from  the  same 
picture. 

Take  for  the  heart  of  these  stories  suggestions  made  by  the 
children  in  the  first  exercise.  Let  the  stories  be  as  different  from 
the  first  as  possible.  Expect  the  children  to  assist  more  in  putting 
these  stories  into  form  than  they  were  able  to  do  in  the  first 
exercise. 

3.  "Original"  stories  told  by  the  children. 

From  any  of  the  unused  suggestions  that  have  been  made 
children  may  tell  "  original "  stories.  Only  a  few  of  the  best 
pupils  should  be  called  upon  for  these  stories.  Insist  on  point, 
brevity,  and  consistency. 

X  (17).     More  Picture  Stories 

(Picture  of  children  at  window,  p.  19) 

As  a  result  of  the  study  of  the  last  picture,  chil- 
dren should  be  able  to  make  stories  with  a  little 
more  independence.  Still  they  must  be  well  started 
in  the  study  of  this  picture. 

While  the  stories  that  may  be  told  from  the 
children  at  the  window  picture  are   very  different 


MORE  PICTURE   STORIES  29 

from  those  of  the  garden  wall  picture,  their  funda- 
mental characteristics  are  the  same,  and  they  are 
worked  out  in  the  same  way.  There  must  be 
a  center  of  interest  in  the  story,  something  that 
the  children  see,  but  that  is  not  revealed  in  the 
picture.  It  must  be  something  quite  amusing,  as 
shown  by  the  children's  faces.  What  is  it?  What 
are  children  likely  to  see  from  a  window  that 
amuses  them  ? 

In  taking  up  the  study  of  this  picture  with  the 
children  so  as  to  get  them  started  right,  refer  to  the 
garden  wall  picture  and  the  way  that  the  stories 
were  worked  out  of  that  after  determining  the 
center  of  interest,  and  lead  the  children  to  see  that 
this  picture  is  to  be  studied  in  the  same  way.  Per- 
haps the  children  will  think  that  four  of  these  chil- 
dren resemble  the  children  in  the  garden  wall 
picture.  If  they  do,  it  may  add  to  the  interest  to 
let  these  stories  be  really  a  continuation  of  the 
stories  from  that  picture. 

Get  the  children  to  give  you  a  large  variety  of 
things  that  would  be  appropriate  for  the  center  of 
interest  in  a  story  which  this  picture  would  illus- 
trate:  as,  a  monkey  with  an  organ  grinder;  a 
dancing  bear;  a  circus  clown  cutting  up  antics;  an 
exciting  game  played  by  other  children  ;  a  funny 
upset  with  nobody  hurt ;  some  harmless  April  Fool 
trick.  Encourage  the  children  to  enter  heartily 
into  the  spirit  of  the  various  suggestions,  perhaps 


30  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

with  the  aid  of  bits  of  appropriate  dramatization  as 
proposed  in  the  study  of  the  last  picture. 

With  this  aid  at  the  beginning,  the  children  may 
be  able  to  work  out,  each  one  for  himself,  under  the 
guidance  of  the  questions  and  suggestions  in  their 
book,  appropriate  stones.  If  they  need  more  help 
from  you  before  attempting  this,  study  further  with 
them,  somewhat  after  this  manner : 

Outline  of  Stories  from  Children  at  Window  Picture 

Tom  had  a  birthday  party.  He  invited  several  of  his  little 
friends.  As  they  were  playing  (pupils  suggest  games),  or  as  they 
were  eating  (pupils  suggest  what),  they  were  startled  by  (pupils 
tell  what).     They  rushed  to  the  window  and  saw  (what?). 

Here  have  pupils  supply  the  exact  conversation  of  the  children, 
making  it  interesting,  animated,  and  appropriate  to  the  thing  that 
they  are  supposed  to  see. 

Let  the  outside  incident  be  ended. 

What  do  the  children  say  ? 

Then  they  return  to  their  game  (how  might  they  change  their 
game  as  suggested  by  what  they  have  just  seen?)  or  to  their 
lunch. 

Give  the  children  time  to  think  out  a  story,  each 
one  for  himself.  Encourage  them  to  vary  their 
stories  as  much  as  possible  from  the  one  that  you 
may  have  worked  out  with  them.  There  should 
be  enough  unused  suggestions  regarding  the  center 
of  interest  to  enable  every  child  to  put  a  little  of  his 
own  thought,  his  inventive  imagination,  into  the 
construction  of  a  story. 


LEARNING  TO  DESCRIBE  31 

Do  not  mind  that  the  results  are  crude,  so  long 
as  the  children  are  thinking.  The  main  purpose 
of  these  exercises  is  to  stimulate  the  pupils'  im- 
agination and  to  give  them  practice  in  expressing 
the  results  of  their  imagining  in  orderly,  connected, 
pointed  language.  Stories  in  good  form  and  full  of 
originality  will  come  in  due  time. 

XI  (18).     Learning  to  Describe 

Read  with  the  children  The  Blind  Men  and  the 
Elephant.  Let  them  answer  the  questions  follow- 
ing. Then  help  them  —  as  little  as  will  suffice  — 
to  read  understand ingly  and  to  carry  out  the  direc- 
tions under  Something  to  Do.  Be  ready  to  provide, 
if  necessary,  one  or  more  pictures  of  an  elephant. 
Then  call  for  several  descriptions.  Give  the  chil- 
dren opportunity  and  insist  that  they  judge  and 
comment  on  the  descriptions,  as  suggested  in  their 
book.  This  is  just  as  important  as  the  descriptions 
themselves. 

XII  (21).     Games  of  Description 

The  following  "  games  of  description  "  should  in- 
volve careful,  discriminating  observations,  the  accu- 
rate oral  use  of  language,  and  the  interpretation  of 
this  language  in  appropriate  mental  pictures  and 
ideas.  See  that  the  children,  in  their  descriptions 
and  in  their  criticisms,  follow  the  directions  given 
and  practiced  in  the  last  lesson. 


32  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

Game  1.   The  Four  Blind  Men. 

The  teacher  blindfolds  four  children.  Each  in  turn  stands  be- 
fore the  class  and  describes,  from  touch,  an  object  which  the 
teacher  places  in  his  hands.  The  object  should  not  be  too 
familiar — a  piece  of  wood,  a  stone,  a  leaf,  a  feather,  a  nail,  will 
serve  —  and  the  pupil  describing  it  must  not  name  it.  The  pupils 
at  their  seats  criticize  the  descriptions  and  decide  which  is  best. 

Game  2.  What  Is  It? 

One  child  leaves  the  room.  The  teacher  points  out  to  the 
other  children  some  familiar,  rather  easily  described  object,  as  a 
book,  a  pointer,  a  window.  The  child  returns  to  the  room,  and 
several  children  in  turn  describe  the  object  that  was  designated 
by  the  teacher.  Of  course  they  must  not  name  it ;  nor  should 
they,  at  first,  give  any  peculiarity  about  it,  such  as  its  use,  which 
would  make  its  recognition  certain  without  real  description. 

In  this  game,  the  children  are  not  blind  men ;  they  can  see  be- 
fore them  the  object  that  they  are  describing.  After  a  few 
descriptions,  the  child  is  asked  to  guess  the  object.  If  he  does 
so,  he  should  tell  whose  description  first  enabled  him  to  guess  it. 
The  other  children  should  pass  judgment  on  the  several  descrip- 
tions, as  directed  in  the  last  lesson.  The  one  that  gave  the  best 
description  may  be  the  next  one  to  leave  the  room. 

Game  3.   Who  Is  It? 

One  child  describes  as  clearly  as  possible  another  child  in  the 
room.  The  pupil  who  first  guesses  which  child  is  being  described 
may  describe  another.     And  so  the  game  may  proceed. 

XIII    (21).     Getting  the  Story  from  a  Poem 

Read  The  Mountain  and  the  Squirrel  to  the  chil- 
dren, trying  to  express  its  meaning  as  clearly  as  pos- 


GETTING   THE   STORY   FROM   A   POEM 


33 


sible.  Study  it  carefully  and  in  detail  with  the 
children,  as  suggested  in  their  book.  The  recall  and 
comparison  of  the  story  of  Grand  Tusk  and  Nimble 
will  help  much.  The  essentials,  including  the  final 
moral,  are  the  same  in  both  stories. 

A  further  aid  to  the  complete  appreciation  of  the 
poem  will  be  a  dramatization  of  it.  Following  the 
suggestions  for  dramatizing  Grand  Tusk  and  Nimble 
(p.  14),  help  the  children  to  turn  the  poem  into 
dramatic  form.  Encourage  free  use  of  their  imagina- 
tion in  the  form  of  expression,  but  hold  them  to  the 
facts  and  meaning  of  the  poem.  Perhaps  it  will 
work  out  something  like  this : 

Mountain  :  Behold  me  !     See  how  big  I  am  ! 

Squirrel :  Behold  me  !     See  how  little  I  am  ! 

M. :  It  is  better  to  be  big  than  to  be  little. 

S. :  No,  it  is  just  as  well  to  be  little.     I  am  as  good  as  you. 

(Doubtless  it  was  some  such  pert  reply  of  the  squirrel,  making 
himself  equal  to  the  great  mountain,  that  brought  forth  the  next 
words  of  the  mountain.) 

M. :  Little  prig  ! 

S. :  I  know  you  are  very  big.  But  every  one  can't  be  as  big 
as  you  are.  I  am  not  ashamed  to  be  my  own  little  self.  If  I  am 
not  so  big  as  you,  you  are  not  so  small  as  I,  and  you  can't  run 
around  and  climb  trees  as  I  can. 

M. :  Run  around  !  Climb  trees  !  I  am  of  more  use  than 
that! 

S. :  Yes,  you  are  good  to  run  over.  You  are  covered  with  my 
tracks. 

M. :  I  am  covered  with  more  than  squirrel  tracks.  Just  see 
the  great  forests  I  carry  on  my  back  !  You  cannot  carry  a  single 
tree  ! 


34  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

S. :  We  were  not  all  meant  to  do  the  same  kind  of  work.  It 
is  true  I  cannot  carry  forests  on  my  back  as  you  do,  but  —  neither 
can  you  crack  a  nut. 

After  the  poem  has  been  worked  out  in  dramatic 
form,  let  two  children,  adapted  to  the  two  parts,  act 
it.     Encourage  the  use  of  their  own  language. 

XIV  (24).     Telling  the  Story  of  the  Poem,  "  The 
Mountain  and  the  Squirrel" 

i.    Read  the  poem  to  the  children. 

2.  Have  one  or  two  children  read  it. 

3.  Have  it  dramatized  —  by  children  other  than 
those  who  took  part  at  the  last  exercise. 

4.  In  preparation  for  telling  the  story,  question 
the  children  somewhat  as  follows,  requiring  them  to 
answer  with  complete  statements. 

One  day  who  had  a  quarrel? 
Who  began  it? 
What  did  the  mountain  say? 
What  did  the  squirrel  say? 

Let  several  children  tell  the  story,  each  one  in  his 
own  way.  If  one  uses  the  words  and  expressions  of 
the  poem,  well  and  good.  If  another  follows  rather 
the  dramatized  form,  accept  that.  If  still  another 
uses  original  words  or  expressions,  commend  him, 
so  long  as  his  story  is  true  to  the  essentials.  The 
purpose  is  to  get  each  child  to  enter  fully  into  the 
meaning  and  spirit  of  the  story,  and  to  tell  it  freely, 
without  self-consciousness,  as  an  interesting  incident. 


CHAPTER   TWO 

If  the  spirit  and  purpose  of  the  varied  exercises 
of  Chapter  One  have  been  realized,  you  are  now  on 
intimate  terms  with  your  class  as  a  whole ;  more 
than  this,  you  are  at  least  beginning  to  understand 
sympathetically  the  interests,  capacities,  tempera- 
ment, the  possibilities  of  each  child.  Before  taking 
up  the  work  of  this  chapter  with  the  children,  read 
again  the  opening  paragraphs  of  Chapter  One 
(pp.  y-8)  in  which  the  content,  the  character,  and 
the  purpose  of  that  chapter  are  summarized  and  ex- 
plained ;  review  carefully  in  your  mind  the  way  the 
exercises  of  that  chapter  were  carried  out,  and  try 
to  determine  to  what  extent  the  purposes  of  the 
chapter  have  been  realized.  Then  study  this  chap- 
ter thoroughly,  both  in  this  Manual  and  in  the  pupils' 
book,  always  using  the  two  together,  in  order  that 
you  may  understand  how  this  chapter  continues  the 
exercises  and  aims  of  Chapter  One,  what  advance- 
ment is  made,  and  especially  the  intimate,  interde- 
pendent relations  of  the  various  exercises.  You  will 
find  in  all  the  wide  variety  of  exercises  offered  — 
which  insures  the  constant,  undulled  interest  of  the 
children  —  that  not  only  has  each  exercise  a  definite 
purpose,  but  that  every  purpose  accomplished  con- 

35 


7,6  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

tributes  materially  to  the  accomplishment  of  every 
other,  and  that  all  together  advance  the  realization  of 
the  larger  purposes  of  language  study  —  the  enrich- 
ment, control,  and  effective  use  of  mental  resources. 
The  contents  of  this  chapter  may  be  summarized 
as  follows : 

1.  A  continuation  of  the  work  begun  in  Chapter  One: 
expressive  reading;  intimate  study  of  simple  stories;  con- 
versations; dramatizing;  oral  reproductions;  picture  study 
and  oral  picture  stories ;  the  study  of  a  poem,  and  the  render- 
ing of  it  in  dramatic  and  in  story  form. 

2.  New  work. 

(a)  Sentences :  statements  and  questions. 

(b)  The  use  of  the  capital  to  begin  the  first  word  of  a 

sentence. 

(c)  The  use  of  the  period  at  the  end  of  a  statement. 

(d)  The  use  of  the  question  mark. 

(e)  Copying  statements  and  questions. 

(/)  Writing  from  dictation:   studied  and  unstudied 

matter. 
(g)   Writing  original  statements. 
(h)   Relating  original  experiences. 

I  (25).     Reading 

Read  with  the  children  the  myth,  How  the  Linden 
Came  to  Be.  Let  it  be  so  read  that  every  character 
in  it  will  stand  out  distinctly,  —  the  strong,  self- 
satisfied  oak,  the  frail,  timid  plant,  the  scornful 
crow,  the  rough,  unsympathetic  wind,  the  kind  sun 


STUDYING   THE   STORY   OF   THE   LINDEN  37 

and  rain.  Every  reader  must  feel  and  appropriately 
express  the  attitude  of  each  of  these  characters. 
With  this  purpose  distinctly  before  teacher  and 
pupils,  this  story  should  be  read  and  reread  until 
every  child  can  at  once  throw  himself  sympatheti- 
cally into  the  attitude  of  oak,  plant,  crow,  wind,  sun, 
and  rain.  The  child  who  can  not  do  this  has  not 
read  the  story;  he  has  read  only  words,  and  the 
lesson  has  not  served  its  full  purpose  for  that  child. 

II  (27).     Studying  the  Story  of  the  Linden 

This  is  a  lesson  for  the  children  to  study  and  pre- 
pare by  themselves.  They  should  probably  be 
given  considerable  help  about  it;  just  how  much 
they  need  to  make  their  study  effective  the  teacher 
must  determine.  (See  suggestions  for  teaching 
children  to  study  a  similar  lesson,  p.  9.)  Probably 
the  greatest  difficulty  of  many  will  be  found  in  real- 
izing just  what  every  direction  means.  Read  with 
them  these  directions  —  also  the  directions  in  the 
last  chapter  to  which  they  are  referred  —  and  make 
sure  that  they  not  merely  understand  what  these 
directions  say,  but  that  they  are  moved  to  do  as 
they  say.  To  learn  how  to  formulate  and  ask  good 
questions,  as  they  are  directed  to  do,  is  quite  as  im- 
portant and  just  as  difficult  as  the  answering  of 
questions.  Encourage  them  in  this,  and  call  for 
their  questions  at  the  next  lesson  without  fail. 

The  things  to  "do  and  say"  serve  not  merely  as 


38  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

a  preparation  for  dramatizing  the  story;  the  prac- 
tice of  these  things  develops  in  the  child  discrimi- 
nating feelings  for  the  meaning  and  use  of  words 
and  expressions.  Children  should  be  encouraged  to 
abandon  themselves  to  these  exercises.  In  doing 
so,  they  think,  feel,  act,  live  through  and  through. 
Mechanical,  perfunctory  performance  and  speech 
serve  no  good  purpose  whatever;  they  merely  help 
to  develop  and  confirm  the  habit  of  making  the 
minimal  use  of  language,  —  of  getting  the  least 
possible  meaning  out  of  language  that  is  read  or 
heard,  of  putting  the  least  possible  meaning  into 
language  that  is  used. 

Children  naturally  abandon  themselves  sympa- 
thetically to  such  exercises  as  these,  when  they  feel 
free  to  do  so.  You  may  find  the  recess  period  the 
most  suitable  time  for  you  to  start  the  children  — 
and  to  join  with  them  —  in  these  exercises.  They 
will  be  found  as  interesting  as  any  games.  When 
these  exercises  are  taken  up  in  the  classroom,  let  it 
be  with  all  the  wholesome  freedom  and  spontaneity 
of  the  recess  period. 

Ill  (30).     Conversation  and  Dramatizing 

The  children  come  to  this  exercise  prepared — as 
far  as  they  can  prepare  —  to  dramatize  the  story  of 
the  Linden.  They  have  read  it  and  reread  it;  they 
have  answered  to  themselves  questions  that  bring 
out  the  chief  events  of  the  story  and  the  main  char- 


CONVERSATION  AND   DRAMATIZING  39 

acteristics  of  the  actors;  they  have  prepared  other 
questions  which  they  wish  to  ask ;  they  have  prac- 
ticed doing  and  saying  things  as  they  were  done  and 
said  by  the  people  in  the  story  ;  each  one  has  thought 
which  parts  he  would  like  to  play,  and  which  children 
he  would  like  to  have  play  the  other  parts. 

What  preparation  shall  the  teacher  have  made, 
and  how  shall  she  conduct  this  exercise  —  which  is 
to  culminate  in  the  dramatization  of  the  story  — 
so  as  to  enlist  fully  the  thought  and  the  activity  of 
the  children  ?  She  must  have  so  mastered  the  sub- 
ject matter  of  the  story,  have  formulated  so  clearly 
the  plan  of  procedure,  that  she  may  be  entirely  un- 
hampered by  books,  either  the  pupils'  or  her  own. 
The  exercise  may  well  consist  of  two  parts:  First, 
questions  and  answers  on  the  actors,  actions,  events, 
and  conversation  of  the  story,  and  the  choice  of 
children  to  take  the  various  parts ;  and,  second,  the 
dramatizing. 

The  first  part  should  be  carried  out  in  systematic, 
progressive  order,  so  that  everything  may  stand  out 
clearly,  with  no  confusion,  in  the  pupils'  minds.  It 
must  be  so  carried  out  that  the  children  will  have, 
and  wall  feel  that  they  have,  a  large  active  part  in 
the  matter.  They  must  ask  questions,  they  must 
make  suggestions  about  the  children  to  take  the 
different  parts,  and  about  the  way  these  parts  are 
to  be  acted.  The  teacher  will  direct  and  make  ef- 
fective the  questions  and  suggestions  of  the  children. 


40  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

The  following  outline  of  questions  and  sugges- 
tions, to  be  supplemented  by  such  others  as  the 
children  may  ask  or  offer,  or  as  the  teacher  may 
find  necessary,  will  indicate  more  definitely  the 
course  which  the  first,  or  preparatory,  part  of  the 
exercise  should  take. 

People  in  the  story. 

Little  Plant. 

Where  did  the  little  plant  live? 

Choose  a  child  to  be  the  little  plant. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  play  should  she  stand  or  sit? 

Where  shall  we  have  her  seated? 

Oak  Tree. 

What  kind  of  tree  was  the  oak  ? 

What  kind  of  voice  do  you  think  he  had  ? 

Choose  a  child  to  be  the  oak  tree. 

Did  the  oak  tree  grow  near  the  little  plant? 

Then  where  should  the  child  who  plays  the  oak  tree  stand  ? 

Did  any  other  trees  grow  near  the  oak  tree  and  the  little 

plant  ? 
Choose  five  children  for  these  other  trees. 

The  Crow. 

Show  how  the  old  crow  came  to  the  little  plant. 

Choose  a  child  for  the  crow. 

This  child  may  hop  to  the  little  plant. 

The   child   calls   "  Can't !      Can't ! "    just  as   a   crow   calls 

"  Caw  !     Caw  !  " 
The  crow  flew  away  from  the  little  plant  —  you  may  show 

how. 


CONVERSATION   AND   DRAMATIZING  41 

The  Wind. 

How  did  the  wind  blow? 

Choose  a  child  for  the  wind. 

Blow,  "  Oo-00-ooo,"  like  the  wind. 

The  little  plant  moved  when  the  wind  blew,  —  show  how. 

The  Sun  and  the  Rain. 

How  did  the  sun  speak  to  the  little  plant? 

Whom  did  he  ask  to  help? 

Choose  children  for  the  sun  and  the  rain. 

The  sun  and  the  rain  gave  the  little  plant  a  friendly  hand  to 

help  her  grow,  —  show  how. 
Let  the  pupils  playing  the  sun  and  the  rain  give  the  child 

playing  the  little  plant  a  hand,  and  lift  her  slowly  to  her 

feet. 

While  the  above  questions  occupy  considerable 
space,  the  points  that  they  cover,  and  others  that 
will  be  suggested,  can  be  brought  out  very  rapidly 
in  an  oral  exercise  for  which  teacher  and  pupils  are 
thoroughly  prepared,  and  which  is  conducted  with 
spirit  and  animation.  Dawdling,  either  of  pupils 
or  teacher,  will  spoil  the  exercise  and  leave  it  un- 
finished at  the  end  of  the  language  period. 

All  is  now  ready  for  the  first  dramatization  of 
the  story.  The  children  who  have  been  chosen  for 
the  several  parts  should  be  allowed  to  carry  it  out 
as  they  conceive  it.  Encourage  and  commend 
freedom  and  originality  in  action  and  conversation. 
Each  one  should  be  true  to  the  character  of  the 
part  he  is  playing ;  he  will  be  so  the  more  easily  if 


42  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

he  makes  no  effort  to  remember  the  exact  words 
that  were  used  in  the  story. 

When  the  play  is  completed,  discuss  with  the 
children  briefly  the  merits  of  it,  encouraging  each 
one  to  form  discriminating  judgments  concerning 
its  merits  and  defects.  Make  up  quickly  another 
cast,  with  suggestions  from  the  children,  and  have 
it  played  again.  The  second  group  of  players  will, 
of  course,  try  to  improve  upon  the  performance  of 
the  first.  If  there  is  time,  a  third  and  even  a  fourth 
group  may  dramatize. 

Reread  the  suggestions  about  dramatizing  made' 
in  connection  with  the  dramatizing  of  Grand  Tusk 
and  Nimble  (p.  14).  The  dramatizing  of  stories 
need  not  be  limited  to  the  formal  language  period. 
Nothing  will  better  serve  for  a  few  moments  of  re- 
laxation, when  that  is  needed.  By  introducing 
dramatizing  in  this  way,  every  child  may  have  fre- 
quent opportunity  to  take  part,  and  every  story 
dramatized  is  kept  fresh  in  the  children's  minds. 
Care  must  be  taken  to  improve  the  performance  by 
repetition,  to  make  it  more  spontaneous  and  natural, 
to  give  it  new  touches  of  interest ;  if  this  is  not 
done,  it  will  become  mechanical  and  perfunctory. 

IV  (30).    Oral  Reproduction  of  the  Story  of  the  Linden 

First,  have  the  story  dramatized  as  effectively  as 
possible,  that  the  actors  and  events  may  be  brought 
vividly  and  in  order  to  the  mind  of  each  child. 


ORAL   REPRODUCTION  43 

The  story  should  be  reproduced  from  beginning 
to  end,  if  possible  without  interruption.  One  child 
may  reproduce  it  entire,  or  each  part  may  be  repro- 
duced by  a  different  child.  Let  the  first  reproduc- 
tion be  undertaken  by  a  child,  or  children,  who  can 
do  it  well. 

Discuss  the  reproduction  with  the  children,  train- 
ing them  to  discriminate  the  good  and  the  weak 
points.  Perhaps  it  will  be  agreed  after  the  first 
reproduction  that  the  events  were  related  clearly 
and  in  the  right  order,  and  that  the  several  actors 
were  made  to  say  what  they  should,  but  that  the 
distinctive  characteristics  of  these  actors,  as  the 
weakness  and  earnestness  of  the  little  plant,  the 
strength  of  the  oak,  the  scorn  of  the  crow,  the  cold 
roughness  of  the  wind,  and  the  warm  sympathy  of 
the  sun  and  the  rain,  were  not  adequately  represented 
by  voice  and  manner.  The  next  child  to  try  the 
reproduction  must  aim  consciously  to  reproduce  the 
events  and  the  ideas  of  the  conversation  just  as  well 
as  was  done  at  first,  and  to  bring  out  the  character- 
istics of  the  little  plant,  the  oak  tree,  and  the  rest, 
better.  When  he  has  finished,  all  the  listening 
children  must  be  able  to  tell  whether,  and  to  what 
extent,  the  child  succeeded  in  his  effort,  and  wherein 
he  failed.  Perhaps  he  maintained  the  first  satisfac- 
tory reproduction  of  the  events  and  the  ideas  of  the 
conversation,  and  brought  out  well  the  characteristics 
of  all  the  actors  except  those  of  the  mocking  crow 


44  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

and  the  rough  wind.  Let  the  next  child  try  to 
equal  all  the  good  points  of  this  performance  and  to 
represent  more  adequately  the  characters  of  the 
crow  and  the  wind. 

So  with  every  reproduction.  The  child  who  is 
giving  it  must  try  consciously  for  a  definite,  superior 
result;  the  listening  children  must  judge  the  success 
of  this  definite  effort.  Never  allow  a  single  repro- 
duction in  which  the  child  is  reproducing  merely 
because  you  have  told  him  to  reproduce.  Never 
call  on  a  child  to  improve  a  reproduction  already 
given  until  it  is  perfectly  clear  to  that  child  and  to 
all  the  children  just  wherein  the  improvement  is  to 
be  attempted. 

V  (31).     Telling  True  Stories 

As  essential  truth  is  necessary  to  the  story  of  the 
imagination,  so  imagination  is  necessary  to  the  true 
story  ;  both  truth  and  imagination  are  indispensable 
to  all  real  stories.  The  truth  of  the  one  is  generic, 
of  the  other  concrete ;  both  live  in  the  imagination. 

The  study  and  appreciation  of  both  types  of 
stories  is  necessary  to  the  fullest  enjoyment  and  use 
of  either.  Rightly  handled,  there  is  not  the  slight- 
est danger  that  this  will  lead  to  confusion  of  fact  and 
fancy  in  the  child's  mind. 

Study  with  the  children  the  suggestive  questions 
in  their  book  and  help  them  to  weave  their  experi- 
ences which  these  questions  suggest  into  connected 


TELLING  TRUE   STORIES  45 

narratives.     These  stories   might  work  out  some- 
what as  follows : 

1.  One  day  I  had  a  package  of  radish  seeds.  I  planted  them 
in  my  plot  in  the  school  garden.  I  helped  the  little  seeds  to  grow 
by  making  the  ground  soft.  I  pulled  up  all  the  weeds.  I  watered 
the  seeds.  After  a  while  my  radishes  were  grown.  I  pulled  them 
and  took  them  home.     We  had  them  for  supper. 

2.  One  day  as  I  was  coming  to  school  I  met  a  little  girl  about 
three  years  old.  She  was  crying.  I  asked  her,  "  What  is  the 
matter?"  She  said,  "I  can't  find  my  mother."  Then  I  knew 
she  was  lost.  So  I  took  her  home  and  then  ran  all  the  way  to 
school,  for  I  did  not  want  to  be  late. 

The  above  are  merely  suggestions  of  the  form  and 
simplicity  of  scores  of  stories  that  children  are  —  or 
may  easily  become  —  capable  of  telling ;  they  have 
only  to  learn  to  command  their  own  experiences,  to 
read  the  stories  in  their  experiences,  much  as  they  are 
learning  to  read  the  story  in  a  picture.  You  must 
help  them,  much  as  you  help  them  to  read  pictures  ; 
you  must  help  them  to  become  conscious  of  their  story 
material.  You  must  help  each  one  to  appreciate 
and  use  his  own  story  material  —  different  from  that 
of  any  other;  this  will  give  a  wealth  of  individuality 
in  the  stories. 

Numerous,  varied,  and  suggestive  questions  will 
help  every  child  to  recall  something  from  his  own 
experience  that  may  serve  for  the  basis  of  a  story. 
For  example,  if  the  thought  of  the  story  is  to  be 
helpfulness,  ask  questions  such  as  the  following: 


46  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

Did  you  ever  help  a  smaller  child  who  had  fallen  ?  had  hurt 
himself?  had  lost  something  ?  was  in  the  road  in  danger  ?  was 
near  the  water?  near  the  fire  ?  Did  you  ever  help  a  child  who 
could  not  do  some  work  that  had  been  given  him  —  at  home  or  in 
school ? 

Did  you  ever  tell  or  show  any  one  how  to  find  some  place,  as  a 
certain  street,  or  the  station,  or  the  post  office  ? 

Did  you  ever  carry  anything  for  an  old  person?  help  one 
across  a  crowded  street  ?  along  a  slippery  walk  ?  up  a  steep  hill  ? 
into  a  car  or  train?  Did  you  ever  give  your  seat  in  a  car  to  some 
one  older  or  weaker  than  yourself  ? 

Did  you  ever  shovel  a  path,  weed  a  garden,  run  an  errand, 
bring  in  wood,  care  for  baby,  sweep  a  room,  wash  dishes  ? 

Such  questions  as  these  will  not  only  help  the 
children  to  recall  their  experiences,  they  will  suggest 
experiences  that  they  may  make  their  own.  To 
reenforce  this  suggestion,  tell  them  that  in  one  week 
you  will  have  another  exercise  in  telling  true  stories 
of  helpfulness. 

Let  all  stories  be  short,  clear,  and  pointed.  When 
conversation  is  involved,  encourage  the  use  of  direct 
quotation ;  this  makes  the  narration  more  vivid. 

VI   (32).  Sentences,  Capitals,  Statements,  and  Periods 

Study  this  lesson  with  the  children.  Do  not  do 
for  them  what  their  book  tells  them  to  do,  but  help 
them,  when  they  need  it,  to  understand  just  what 
everything  means  in  their  book,  and  see  that  they 
do  as  directed. 

This  first  lesson  in  the  use  of  forms,  the  capital  to 


SENTENCES,    CAPITALS,    STATEMENTS,   PERIODS     47 

begin  the  first  word  of  a  sentence  and  the  period 
after  a  statement,  is  typical  of  the  method  employed 
throughout  in  developing  the  habit  of  correct  usage. 
Note  these  steps  in  the  process  of  developing  the 
habit  of  using  a  capital  to  begin  the  first  word  of  a 
sentence.*  First,  a  clear  grasp  by  the  pupil,  through 
directed  observation,  of  the  fact  that  a  capital  letter 
is  used  to  begin  the  first  word  of  sentences;  second, 
the  statement  to  the  pupil,  and  the  understanding 
by  him,  of  the  general  rule  that  the  first  word  of 
every  sentence  must  begin  with  a  capital ;  third,  the 
examination  of  sentences  to  find  out  with  what  kind 
of  letter  the  first  word  of  each  begins,  and  the 
application  of  the  rule  to  justify  the  use  of  capitals; 
and  fourth,  the  conscious  application  of  the  rule  in 
writing  —  at  this  time  merely  in  copying  —  capitals 
to  begin  the  first  words  of  sentences.  Observe  that 
the  steps  in  teaching  to  use  the  period  after  a  state- 
ment are  exactly  the  same. 

This  one  lesson  has  taught  the  child  how  to 
begin  every  sentence  and  how  to  end  every  state- 
ment. There  is  no  exception  to  these  rules,  and 
there  is  absolutely  nothing  more  to  teach  on  the 
subject.  The  one  thing  still  necessary — and  this 
is   necessary  —  is   that  the  child  put  into  practice 

*  Any  definition  or  characterization  of  a  sentence  at  this  time  will  confuse 
rather  than  enlighten  the  pupil.  Talk  about  sentences  freely,  refer  to  them 
as  sentences,  and  children  will  gradually  and  unconsciously  learn  the  essential 
characteristics  of  a  sentence,  something  that  no  definition  yet  framed  can 
impart  to  them. 


48  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

what  he  has  learned  about  the  use  of  capitals  and 
the  period.  At  first,  and  for  a  long  time,  this  prac- 
tice must  be  conscious.  Every  time  that  he  begins 
a  sentence  or  ends  a  statement,  the  child  must  tell 
himself,  or  some  one  else,  why  he  is  using  the  capital 
and  the  period.  If  there  be  permitted  no  break  — 
and  there  must  be  none  —  in  this  consciously  correct 
use  of  the  capital  and  the  period,  it  will  never  again 
be  necessary  to  teach  this  matter  to  the  children 
who  have  learned  this  lesson.  As  the  habit  be- 
comes fixed  through  many  and  frequent  repetitions, 
the  explicit  thought  of  the  reason  for  these  usages 
will  become  unnecessary,  and  will  fade  away  of  its 
own  accord,  subject  to  recall  only  when  needed. 

The  conventional  forms  to  be  learned  in  order  to 
write  correctly  are  but  few.  The  correct  use  of  most 
of  them  is  learned  just  as  easily  as  that  of  the  capital 
at  the  beginning  of  a  sentence  and  of  the  period 
at  the  end  of  a  statement.  And  all  of  them  are  best 
learned  in  substantially  the  manner  outlined  above. 
Little  teaching  and  nt7ich  practice  is  required.  The 
simple  secret  of  progress  is  to  hold  fast  to  what  has 
once  been  learned  by  always  using  it  correctly. 

VII  (35).     Copying  Sentences  to  Learn  the  Use  of 
Capitals  and  Period 

This  is  the  child's  first  written  language  lesson. 
The  teacher  should  read  with  the  children  the  direc- 
tion about  telling  themselves  why  they  make  every 


COPYING   SENTENCES 


49 


capital  and  every  period,  and  make  sure  that  every 
child  understands  and  will  carry  out  this  direction. 
The  children  may  need  reminding  occasionally  as  the 
copying  proceeds.  All  these  precautions  will  reduce 
the  number  of  mistakes,  —  which  are  better  avoided 
than  corrected. 

In  this  first  written  exercise,  every  child  must  use 
correctly,  must  be  made  to  use  correctly,  must  know 
that  he  is  using  correctly,  the  capital  and  the  period 
as  he  learned  in  the  last  lesson  that  these  must  be 
used.  Hence,  every  child's  paper  must  be  examined 
by  the  teacher  and  corrected,  if  necessary,  by  the 
child,  at  once.  This  examination  and  correction  is 
a  part  of  the  exercise.  It  were  better  to  omit  the 
exercise  altogether  than  to  omit  the  correction  of  it, 
—  and  to  defer  this  is  nearly  as  bad  as  to  omit  it. 

The  teacher  should  begin  her  examination  as 
soon  as  the  pupils  begin  to  write,  passing  by  their 
desks,  and  stopping  for  the  immediate  correction  of 
every  error  that  she  discovers.  Corrections  should 
be  made  as  follows : 

If  a  child  has  begun  a  sentence  with  a  small  letter,  the  teacher 
asks,  "  What  kind  of  letter  should  you  have  used?     Why?" 

When  this  answer,  which  the  teacher  must  exact,  has  been 
made  by  the  child,  "  A  capital  letter,  because  the  first  word  of 
every  sentence  should  begin  with  a  capital  letter,"  the  teacher 
says,  "  Do  it." 

If  a  child  has  omitted  the  period  at  the  end  of  a  statement, 
the  teacher  asks,  "  What  should  you  have  placed  after  this  state- 
ment?    Why?" 


SO  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

She  must  insist  on  the  answer,  "  A  period,  because  there  should 
be  a  period  after  every  statement."  The  correction  by  the  child 
then  follows. 

Do  not  let  your  questions  calling  attention  to  the 
error,  be  merely  a  signal  for  the  child  to  correct  it. 
It  is  quite  as  important  that  the  child  answer  your 
questions  as  it  is  that  he  make  the  correction.  An- 
swer and  correction  together  insure  that  he  does  the 
thing  right  and  that  he  knows  why  he  does  it.  Will 
not  the  frequent  repetition  of  these  answers  finally 
make  them  perfunctory  ?  Of  course  ;  so  will  the  ac- 
companying correct  use  of  capitals  and  the  period 
finally  become  perfunctory.  But  this  is  only  another 
way  of  saying  that  the  habit  of  using  capitals  and 
the  period  under  the  conditions  given  is  formed. 
Errors  in  other  things  than  the  two  for  which  this 
exercise  is  given,  as  in  spelling,  should  be  called  to 
the  attention  of  the  pupil,  and  he  should  correct  by 
making  his  copy  like  the  original. 

VIII  (35).     Studied  Dictation  for  Drill  in  Use  of 
Capitals  and  Period 

Three  minutes  of  real  application  should  be  quite 
time  enough  for  pupils  to  prepare  the  lesson  to  write 
from  dictation.  See  that  each  one  applies  himself 
to  it  as  he  is  directed  to  do  in  his  book. 

Have  pupils  close  their  books.  Let  one  pupil  — 
not  one  of  the  best  nor  one  of  the  poorest — go  to  a 
blackboard  in  plain  view  of  the  class.     With  the  undi- 


STUDIED   DICTATION  51 

vided  attention  of  every  one,  dictate  a  complete  sen- 
tence, clearly,  distinctly,  and  slowly.  Have  all  pupils 
in  concert  repeat  the  sentence,  clearly,  distinctly,  and 
slowly.  Then  let  the  one  at  the  board  write  it.  The 
others  watch  closely  to  detect  any  mistake. 

Let  each  sentence  be  corrected  as  soon  as  written. 
Let  the  corrections  be  made  just  as  directed  in  the 
last  lesson.  Pupils  at  the  seats,  as  called  upon, 
may  indicate  where  there  is  an  error,  and  the  one 
at  the  board  may  tell,  if  he  can,  what  the  correction 
should  be,  and  why ;  then  he  may  make  it.  Or 
pupils  at  seats,  as  called  upon,  may  tell  what  correc- 
tions to  make,  and  why ;  then  the  one  at  the  board, 
or  some  other,  as  directed,  may  make  the  correc- 
tions. Never  fail  to  have  given,  by  some  one,  the 
reason  for  the  correct  form  before  it  is  made. 

Proceed  in  this  way  with  each  sentence.  If 
there  is  time,  erase  the  sentences  from  the  board, 
and  have  them  written  and  corrected  again  in  the 
same  way.  This  time  let  the  dictation  be  taken 
by  one  of  the  poorer  pupils. 

Never  break  a  sentence  in  the  dictation,  reading 
only  two  or  three  words  at  a  time.  The  exercise 
is  not  on  the  writing  of  words,  but  of  sentences. 
Given  as  directed  above,  it  is  not  difficult  for  chil- 
dren to  grasp  and  to  hold  in  mind  the  whole  sen- 
tence while  they  write  it.  Far  fewer  mistakes  will 
be  made  when  dictation  is  taken  by  sentences, 
rather  than  by  words,  or  even  by  phrases.     Do  not 


52  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

be  swerved  from  this  plan  just  because  some  children 
forget  the  sentence  before  they  have  completed  it. 
Let  them  do  better  with  the  next  one.  Much  prac- 
tice of  this  kind  in  grasping  sentences  as  wholes  has 
a  most  important  influence  on  the  development  of 
the  sentence  sense,  of  the  feeling  for  a  completed 
thought  adequately  expressed  in  a  definite  group  of 
related  words. 

IX  (36).     Unstudied  Dictation  to  Test  the  Use  of 
Capitals  and  Period 

The  sentences  below  contain  no  word  not  used* 
in  1,  page  34,  of  the  pupils'  book.  Hence,  they 
should  be  able  to  spell  every  word  without  study. 
If  you  think  it  necessary,  however,  write  on  the 
board  the  two  or  three  that  may  give  trouble, 
let  the  children  pronounce  and  spell  them  aloud, 
then  erase  them.  Now  dictate,  as  directed  in  the 
last  lesson,  these  sentences.  Let  the  children 
write  on  paper ;  it  is  a  test  exercise,  in  which  each 
one  should  show  what  he  can  do  absolutely  alone. 
Let  them  understand  clearly  the  two  things  for 
which  the  exercise  is  especially  given,  the  use  of 
the  capital  to  begin  every  sentence  and  the  use  of 
the  period  to  end  every  statement. 

The  little  plant  was  sad. 

She  tried  to  grow. 

The  oak  tree  tossed  his  branches. 

He  was  proud. 

He  looked  down  on  the  little  plant. 


QUESTIONS   AND   THE  QUESTION   MARK  53 

Have  the  pupils  correct  their  work  at  once,  just  as 
directed  in  a  previous  exercise  (p.  49). 

X  (36).     Questions  and  the  Question  Mark 

Study  with  the  children  their  first  lesson  on 
questions  and  the  use  of  the  question  mark. 
Merely  help  them  to  study  out  and  to  understand 
the  lesson  for  themselves. 

Note  that  this  is  a  type  lesson,  similar  to  the 
lesson  on  the  use  of  capitals  and  the  period.  As 
that  lesson  taught  everything  that  can  be  taught 
about  the  use  of  a  capital  to  begin  a  sentence  and 
a  period  to  end  a  statement,  so  this  lesson  teaches 
all  that  can  be  taught  about  the  use  of  a  capital  to 
begin,  and  a  question  mark  to  close  a  sentence  that 
asks  a  question.  The  study  and  the  practice  now 
necessary  to  form  the  habit  of  correct  usage  in 
this  matter  must  follow  the  principles  and  plan 
outlined  in  connection  with  Exercise  VII  (p.  48). 
Study  that  lesson  again  most  carefully.  The  ap- 
plication of  its  teaching  is  fundamental  to  your 
success  as  a  language  teacher. 

XI  (38).     Copying  Questions  to  Learn  the  Use  of 
Capitals  and  the  Question  Mark 

Have  pupils  correct  mistakes  in  this  copying 
exercise  at  once.  Begin  the  examination  of  their 
work  as  soon  as  they  begin  to  write.  Follow  di- 
rections already  given  (VII,  p.  49). 


54  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

If  a  child  has  failed  to  place  a  question  mark  at 
the  end  of  a  question,  ask :  "  What  kind  of  mark 
should  be  used  after  this  sentence  ?  Why4?  "  Insist 
on  the  answer :  "  A  question  mark,  because  a  ques- 
tion mark  must  be  placed  after  every  sentence  that 
asks  a  question."  Then  let  the  child  make  the 
correction  at  once. 

XII  (39).     Using  Capitals  and  the  Period 

This  is  a  lesson  to  be  corrected  as  it  is  written, 
and  according  to  previous  directions  (VII,  p.  49). 

XIII  (40).     Picture  Stories 

(The  toy  shop  picture,  p.  41) 

Make  preparation  for  the  study  of  this  lesson  with 
the  children,  as  directed  in  Chapter  One  (p.  22).  The 
number  of  distinct  and  interesting  stories,  that  may 
be  worked  out  of  this  picture  is  almost  unlimited. 
The  pupils'  book  and  the  supplementary  work  below 
suggest  several ;  sketch  in  your  mind  the  possibili- 
ties of  several  more  stories,  so  as  to  be  prepared  to 
encourage  every  sign  of  originality  that  the  children 
may  show. 

Help  the  children  to  understand  and  study  the 
lesson  as  outlined  for  them  in  their  book.  The 
center  of  interest  in  any  story  that  may  be  worked 
out  is  in  the  actions  of  the  children  before  the  win- 
dow.    Experience  with  the  picture,  however,  shows 


PICTURE   STORIES  55 

that  pupils  direct  their  attention  first  to  the  toys; 
hence  the  order  of  the  questions  in  their  book. 
When  they  have  somewhat  satisfied  their  own  in- 
terest in  the  toys  they  are  ready  to  consider  the 
picture  children,  their  relation  to  the  toys  and  to 
each  other.  The  children's  own  interests  in  the 
toys  to  which  they  first  give  expression  prepare  them 
to  interpret  sympathetically  the  interests  of  the 
picture  children.  Encourage  such  interpretation  in 
working  out  the  stones ;  for  instance,  let  the  pupils 
choose  the  presents  they  would  select  if  they  were 
the  poor  children. 

Help  the  children  to  finish  the  stories  suggested 
in  their  book,  but  let  them  do  the  thinking.  This 
is  the  opportunity  for  them  to  show  their  originality  ; 
do  not  deprive  them  of  the  opportunity.  Your 
function  is  to  help  them  to  express  their  conceptions 
in  an  orderly  and  effective  way. 

When  the  lesson  has  thus  been  worked  out,  have 
several  children  tell  a  complete  story.  Let  each  one 
choose  his  own  standpoint,  that  of  the  rich  or  the 
poor  children.  Encourage  originality  in  the 
stories  —  even  in  those  told  from  the  same  stand- 
point. Do  not  let  a  child  merely  repeat  from 
memory  the  story  that  another  child  has  told ;  this 
has  slight  value  and  is  not  in  harmony  with  the 
spirit  and  purpose  of  all  this  picture  story  work. 

Without  discouraging,  try  to  prevent  the  children 
rambling    in    their  story-telling,  bringing  in   many 


56  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

irrelevant  details.  Encourage  concise,  connected 
thought  and  statement,  point  and  climax;  let  every 
statement  advance  the  story  a  distinct  point  toward 
the  climax.     All  of  this  makes  for  brevity. 

Have  children  choose  good  titles  for  their  stories. 

Supplementary  Work 

i.  Have  one  of  the  poor  children  tell  the  story  to 
his  mother  on  his  return  home. 

2.  Let  one  of  the  rich  children  tell  the  story  to 
his  mother. 

3.  Let  any  one  of  the  toys  tell  the  story. 

In  order  to  tell  consistently  any  of  the  stories 
above  suggested  the  pupil  must  become  as  com- 
pletely as  possible  the  poor  child,  the  rich  child,  or 
some  particular  toy,  that  he  decides  to  represent. 
This  is  not  a  difficult  thing  for  children  to  do  when 
they  understand  clearly  what  is  required  and  when 
you  insist  that  they  maintain  to  the  end  the  char- 
acter once  assumed.  Do  not  permit  a  child  to  begin 
a  story  in  the  character  of  a  toy,  for  instance,  and 
then  forget  his  role  and  finish  the  story  as  a  child  — 
himself  or  one  of  the  children  of  the  picture. 

Suppose  the  doll  is  to  tell  her  story.  It  might 
run  something  as  follows : 

The  Doll's  Story 

I  was  born  in  a  far-off  land  called  Germany.  I  came  across  the 
great  ocean  in  a  ship  full  of  toys  that  were  coming  as  Christmas 


SUPPLEMENTARY  WORK  57 

gifts  for  little  boys  and  girls  in  America.  I  was  taken  from  the 
ship  to  a  large  shop  and  placed  in  the  wide  window  with  ever  so 
many  other  toys.  But  oh,  how  lonely  I  felt,  for  there  was  not 
another  German  doll  in  sight.  How  I  wished  some  dear  little 
girl  would  buy  me  and  love  me,  O  so  much  ! 

The  day  before  Christmas  three  poor  children  came  and  stood 
before  the  window. 

(It  will  be  easy  to  finish  the  story,  telling  what  the  poor  chil- 
dren said,  the  coming  of  the  rich  children,  who  bought  the  doll, 
who  took  it  home,  etc.) 

After  making  sure  that  the  children  understand 
what  is  required,  perhaps  by  working  out  with  them 
the  doll's  story,  let  each  child  choose  for  himself  the 
story  he  will  tell  —  that  is,  the  child  or  the  toy  that 
he  will  represent.  Allow  the  children  a  few  min- 
utes, with  their  books  open  at  the  picture  before 
them,  to  think  out  their  stories.  Then  have  told 
orally  as  many  different  stories  by  as  many  different 
children  as  time  permits. 

See  that  the  children  choose  appropriate  titles  for 
their  stories. 

4.  The  story  lends  itself  readily  to  dramatization. 
In  the  simplest  form,  the  shop  window  and  toys  may 
be  entirely  imaginary,  or  sketches  might  be  made 
of  them  on  the  blackboard.  To  make  it  more  real- 
istic, pupils  might  bring  a  variety  of  toys  from  home 
and  arrange  them  in  a  "  shop  window."  In  addition 
to  the  six  children  representing  those  shown  in  the 
pictures,  other  children  might  take  the  parts  of  their 
mothers.     Thus  the  whole  dramatization  could  be 


58  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

elaborated    sufficiently  for   a    Christmas    entertain- 
ment. 

5.  Tell  the  story  of  a  toy  that  wanted  to  be  chosen 
but  was  not. 

XIV  (43).     More  Picture  Stories 

(Outside  the  garden  picture,  p.  45) 

On  account  of  the  fundamental  similarity  in  the 
stories  suggested  by  this  picture  and  those  of  the 
shop  window  picture,  the  children  come  to  this 
study  somewhat  prepared.  They  should  here  show 
the  results  of  their  previous  work. 

Study  with  the  children  the  lesson  as  presented  in 
their  book.  Do  not  forget  that  they,  not  you,  are  to 
take  the  lead  in  thinking.  Note  that  in  the  children's 
book,  following  the  fourth  question,  suggestions  are 
given  for  three  distinct  stories.  Each  of  these  sug- 
gestions may  be  developed  something  like  this: 

1.  Suppose  the  boy  has  no  home.  Obviously  he  must  find  a 
home.  Where?  In  this  big  house  as  an  adopted  son?  With  the 
gardener  as  his  helper? 

2.  Suppose  the  bofs  father  wants  work.  How  can  the  little 
girl  help  him  to  get  work?  If  the  boy's  father  should  become 
gardener,  where  will  the  little  boy  perhaps  live? 

3.  Suppose  the  boy's  mother  is  ill.  What  will  the  little  girl  do? 
Will  any  one  go  to  see  the  sick  mother?  What  will  be  taken  or 
sent  to  her?  When  she  is  better  what  will  be  done  for  her? 
What  part  will  the  boy  play  in  all  this? 

These  three  are  only  a  few  of  the  many  stories 
that  might  be  told.     Before  developing  any  one  of 


TELLING   TRUE   STORIES  59 

these  beyond  the  mere  suggestion,  have  the  children 
suggest  as  many  other  possible  stories  as  they  can. 
Encourage  each  one  to  think  out  his  own  story. 
Show  them  how  to  weave  their  thoughts  together 
into  a  straightforward,  complete  story.  To  do  this 
it  will  probably  be  necessary  to  work  out  with  them, 
perhaps  to  tell  them,  one  whole  story  as  a  model  of 
form,  —  not  of  content.  When  they  are  ready,  let 
several  children  tell  their  stories. 

Children  should  be  taught  to  give  an  appropriate 
title  to  every  story  they  tell. 

Supplementary  "Work 

1.  Telling  additional  stories. 

An  exercise  may  well  be  devoted  to  the  thinking  out 
by  the  children  —  with  such  help  as  they  may  need  — 
and  the  telling  of  several  stories  differing  materially 
from  those  suggested  in  the  pupils'  book,  but  involving, 
of  course,  the  boy  and  the  girl  as  the  chief  characters. 
Encourage  each  pupil  to  tell  more  than  one  story. 

2.  The  story  may  be  easily  dramatized. 

XV  (44).  Telling  True  Stories 
Help  children  —  as  much  as  necessary,  but  no 
more  —  to  put  their  answers  to  the  questions  in  their 
book  into  good  story  form.  If  they  are  able  only  to 
answer  these  questions  disconnectedly,  show  them 
how  to  join  their  thoughts,  then  let  them  reproduce 
the  resultant  story.  They  will  quickly  learn  to  con- 
nect their  thoughts  themselves. 


60  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

XVI  (46).     Studying  the  Poem,  "Spring  Waking" 

i.  Read  the  poem  to  the  children  ;  bring  out  the 
meaning  and  the  various  and  contrasted  feelings  as 
fully  as  possible. 

2.  Help  the  children  to  study  the  poem,  following 
the  questions  in  their  book. 

The  poem  is  just  full  of  delightful  little  scenes  — 
the  snowdrop  curled  up  fast  asleep  in  the  dark 
ground  with  a  blanket  of  white  snow  over  all,  the 
bright  sun  shining  warm  and  calling  cheerily  to  the 
snowdrop,  the  awakening,  the  popping  of  the  little 
snowdrop  out  of  her  bed  in  her  white  nightcap,  and 
all  the  rest.  All  these  pictures  the  children  must 
see  clearly  in  their  imaginations  —  this  is  not  diffi- 
cult if  the  matter  is  rightly  handled;  they  must  also 
feel  with  the  sun  and  with  the  snowdrop,  as  the  con- 
versation between  the  two  and  the  brief  descriptions 
suggest.  The  questions  in  the  pupils'  book  and  the 
reading  of  certain  lines  are  designed  to  help  the 
children  to  see  the  scenes  in  imagination,  and  to  feel 
with  the  sun  and  the  snowdrop.  Have  them  read 
and  reread  the  lines  suggested  until  you  are  sure 
from  their  emphasis  and  expression  that  they 
are  expressing  the  feelings,  the  thoughts,  the  mental 
pictures  that  they  are  actually  experiencing.  This 
is  reading;  this  is  appreciating  literature. 

If  any  child  has  never  seen  a  snowdrop,  show  one 
if  you  can.     The  next  best  thing  is  a  picture  or  a 


PART  READING  AND   DRAMATIZING  61 

drawing  on  the  blackboard,  with  such  description  as 
will  enable  the  child  to  form  an  approximately  correct 
mental  picture. 

Your  skill  as  a  teacher  is  shown  in  your  insight 
and  resourcefulness  in  aiding  the  children  to  utilize 
such  experiences  as  they  have  had  in  their  efforts  to 
appreciate  thought  and  feeling  represented  by  printed 
words.  For  instance,  it  may  help  the  children  to  a 
sympathetic  appreciation  of  the  snowdrop's  part  if 
you  make  reference  to  their  feelings  at  the  call  to 
get  up  early  on  a  cold  morning.  When  they  have 
finally  made  up  their  minds  to  arise,  do  they  do  it 
slowly,  or  do  they  "pop  "  out  of  bed  just  as  the  snow- 
drop did  ?  After  they  are  up  and  dressed  and  out 
in  the  cheerful  sunlight,  do  they  want  to  go  back  to 
bed  again,  or  are  they  glad,  as  the  snowdrop  was  ? 

The  general  lesson  of  the  poem  is  quite  similar 
to  that  of  the  myth,  The  Little  Plant  and  the  Oak 
Tree,  the  first  story  in  this  chapter.  It  will  be  a 
good  test  of  the  children's  understanding  of  both  the 
myth  and  the  poem  to  see  whether  they  will  note 
the  similarity.  Perhaps  a  few  questions,  helping 
them  to  recall  and  to  compare  the  myth  with  the 
poem,  will  be  necessary. 

XVII   (50).     Part  Reading  and  Dramatizing  a  Poem 

Let  the  teacher  read  the  narrative  parts  of  Spring 
Waking  while  two  children  take  the  parts  of  the 
sun  and  the  snowdrop,  like  this: 


62  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

First  Stanza. 

Teacher :  A  snowdrop  lay  in  the  sweet  dark  ground, 

Sun  :  Come  out,  come  out ! 

Teacher :  But  she  lay  quite  still  and  she  heard  no  sound ; 

Sun  :  Asleep,  no  doubt ! 

Second  Stanza. 

Teacher :  The  snowdrop  heard,  for  she  raised  her  head, 

Sun  :  Look  spry,  look  spry  ! 

Snowdrop :  It's  warm  here  in  bed. 

Sun :  Oh,  fie  !     Oh,  fie  ! 

Such  part  reading  is  excellent  preparation  for 
dramatizing,  which  should  follow  the  reading.  The 
snowdrop  may  be  covered  with  a  white  apron  (the 
snow).  The  conversation  between  the  sun  and  the 
snowdrop  should  follow  the  order  and  the  ideas  of 
the  poem,  but  not  necessarily  the  exact  words.  A 
third  child  might  be  introduced  to  represent  the 
robin,  who  speaks  or  sings  something  like  this : 
"  Cheer-up,  cheer-up  !  Snowdrop  is  awake  !  The 
air  is  growing  warm  !     Cheer-up,  cheer-up  !  " 

XVIII  (50).     Learning  to  Tell  a  Story 

Help  pupils  to  work  out  an  interesting,  connected 
story  from  the  poem,  Spring  Waking,  following  the 
suggestions  given  in  the  pupils'  book.  This  is  no 
trivial  requirement  of  the  pupil  at  this  stage  of  his 
progress.  He  must  get  the  thought  from  the  poem 
in  connected,  progressive  order,  and  then  express  it 
clearly  and  connectedly  in  his  own  language.     It 


ORAL  REPRODUCTIONS  63 

will  not  do  to  make  a  dry,  condensed  statement  of 
the  main  ideas  of  the  story,  as,  "  The  snowdrop  was 
asleep  under  the  snow,  the  sun  called  her,  and  she 
got  up."  On  the  contrary,  the  story  should  contain 
rather  more  detail  than  the  poem  gives ;  especially 
may  the  conversation  be  elaborated  to  advantage. 
The  expression  should  be  appropriate ;  a  colorless 
statement  of  facts  does  not  make  a  story.  The  con- 
versational parts  call  for  animation  and  inflection; 
even  something  of  dramatic  action  will  aid. 

In  helping  the  children  to  work  out  the  story,  they 
may  well  take  turns,  one  telling  a  portion,  that  one 
followed  by  another  telling  the  next  portion,  and  so 
on.  Each  child's  contribution  should  be  encour- 
agingly criticized  and  suggestions  for  improvement 
made  when  necessary ;  then  the  child  should  try 
again  until  he  has  made  his  part  satisfactory.  This 
will  help  the  children  to  form  the  habit  of  judging 
their  own  efforts  critically. 

XIX  (51).     Oral  Reproductions 

Have  pupils  tell  the  complete  story  of  the  sun 
and  the  snowdrop.  This  must  not  be  mere  perfunc- 
tory repetition.  Each  pupil  should  do  his  best ;  then 
his  production  should  be  definitely  criticized  by  pupils 
and  teacher,  in  a  kindly  way  of  course,  and  always 
with  suggestions  for  improvement.  Then  each  one 
following  should  try  to  retain  all  the  good  points  of 
previous  ones  and  to  make  improvements. 


CHAPTER  THREE 

Before  taking  up  this  chapter  with  the  children, 
master  its  content  and  purposes  yourself.  Study  it 
thoroughly  both  in  the  children's  book  and  in  this 
Manual  so  that  you  may  understand  clearly  what 
you  are  to  do  and  what  the  children  are  to  do  — 
alone,  and  under  your  guidance.  Compare  carefully 
the  exercises  of  this  chapter  in  content,  form,  and 
purpose  with  the  work  already  done  in  previous 
chapters.  Read  again  the  introductory  paragraphs 
of  Chapters  One  and  Two  (pp.  y-8,  35-36) ;  they 
apply  equally  here. 

Several  things  that  you  should  observe  in  this 
preparatory  and  comparative  study: 

1.  In  the  continuation  of  the  several  different  types  of 
work  already  begun  —  reading,  dramatizing,  oral  story 
telling,  and  the  rest  —  there  is  gradual  and  constant  advance 
in  the  opportunities  and  demands  made  upon  the  children 
for  original,  independent  thought  and  effort.  For  examples, 
they  must  learn  to  take  the  initiative  more  and  more  in  the 
preparation  and  execution  of  a  dramatization;  to  study  more 
independently;  to  use  more  originality  in  conception  and 
expression. 

2.  Copying  and  dictation  are  used  always  with  definite 
purpose  —  usually  to  teach,  fix,  and  test  pupils'  mastery  of 
the  use  of  various  language  forms. 

64 


READING   THE   STORY  65 

3.  The  new  work  presented  in  this  chapter : 

(a)  Titles  —  studied,  copied,  and  written  from  dicta- 

tion; making  and  writing  original  titles. 

(b)  The  first  lesson  in  written  reproduction  of  a  story. 

(c)  Copying,  memorizing,  and  writing  poetry  from 

memory. 

I  (52).      Reading  the  Story,  "  Mabel  and  the  Fairy  Polk  " 

Let  the  teacher  read  this  story  to  the  children, 
and  read  it  so  well  that  every  one  will  be  inspired 
to  read  up  to  the  teacher's  standard,  when  he  has 
the  opportunity.  Even  teachers  cannot  do  their 
best  without  practice  and  rehearsal. 

Now  have  the  story  read  in  dialogue  form  by  the 
children.  Thus,  in  the  first  part,  "  Mabel  and  the 
Fairy  Queen,"  have  one  child  take  the  part  of 
Grandmother,  another  the  part  of  Mabel,  and  a  third 
that  of  the  Fairy  Queen,  each  one  reading  only 
what  is  said  by  the  one  he  represents.  All  short 
explanatory  parts  that  are  not  generally  necessary 
to  the  understanding  of  the  conversation,  such  as, 
"  said  Grandmother  one  morning,"  should  be  omitted. 
Longer  descriptive  or  narrative  parts,  like  the  fourth, 
sixth,  eighth,  the  end  of  the  ninth,  and  the  tenth 
paragraphs  of  the  first  part,  should  be  read  by  a 
child  designated  for  this,  or  better,  in  this  first 
exercise  of  the  kind,  by  the  teacher. 

For  the  second  part,  "  Mabel  and  the  Brownies," 
five   children  are  necessary   to   take    the    parts    of 


66  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

Grandmother,  Mabel,  and  three  Brownies.  For  the 
last  part,  "  Mabel  and  the  Elves,"  Rve  children  are 
also  necessary  for  Grandmother,  Mabel,  and  three 
elves. 

To  take  any  of  these  parts  well,  the  one  taking  it 
must  have  some  rather  clear  conception  of  the 
character  of  the  person  he  is  trying  to  represent. 
Without  that  conception,  it  is  manifestly  impossible 
to  speak  intelligently  as  that  person  did.  What 
kind  of  person  was  Grandmother  ?  Mabel  ?  the 
Fairy  Queen  ?  What  kind  of  people  were  the 
brownies?  the  elves?  Discuss  these  matters  briefly 
with  the  children  before  their  reading  begins.  It  is 
not  necessary  that  there  be  agreement ;  it  is  impor- 
tant that  each  one  have  some  conception  of  the 
character  of  the  persons  who  speak  in  the  story,  and 
whose  conversation  is  now  to  be  taken  by  the 
children. 

Discuss  with  the  children  the  rendering  of  the 
several  parts,  to  bring  out  clearly  —  in  a  way  that 
every  child  can  understand  —  the  good  features  of 
each  one  and  those  features  needing  improvement. 
With  every  child  knowing  just  what  improvements 
in  each  part  are  to  be  made,  have  the  story  reread 
—  a  section  at  a  time  —  by  children  who  have  not 
previously  taken  part.  Let  the  listening  children 
determine  whether  each  desired  improvement  has 
been  made.  Do  not  leave  the  story,  or  any  part  of 
it,  until  the  improvement  determined  upon  has  been 


DRAMATIZING  .  67 

made,  until  the  children  recognize  that  it  has  been 
made,  even  if  you  have  to  make  this  improvement 
yourself. 

II  (55).     Dramatizing  "Mabel  and  the  Fairy  Folk" 

Have  the  story  read  once  again,  in  dialogue  form 
as  before'.  Let  the  principal  parts  be  taken  by  chil- 
dren who  took  minor  or  no  parts  at  the  previous 
readings.  Let  the  reading  be  the  very  best  of  which 
the  children  are  capable. 

This,  with  the  previous  readings,  should  be  suffi- 
cient preparation  for  the  dramatizing.  The  pupils 
must  be  made,  from  the  beginning,  to  feel  large 
responsibility  for  a  successful  dramatization  ;  and 
yet,  on  no  account  must  they  be  allowed  to  fail. 
This  means  that  the  teacher  must  have  clearly  in 
mind,  at  the  outset,  just  how  the  dramatization  may 
be  arranged  and  carried  out  in  its  every  detail.  It 
means  equally  that  the  teacher  must  hold  her  concep- 
tions severely  in  reserve.  The  teacher's  concep- 
tions are  for  her  own  use,  not  for  the  direct  use  of 
the  pupils ;  they  are  to  enable  the  teacher  at  every 
point,  and  without  hesitation,  to  ask  the  question,  to 
give  the  hint  or  the  suggestion,  that  will  enable  the 
pupils  to  make  and  to  carry  out  their  own  plans  for 
the  dramatization. 

So  give  to  your  pupils  —  and  do  this  with  con- 
fidence—  the  initiative  in  assigning  the  parts,  in 
locating  the  different  scenes,  and  in  suggesting  the 


68  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

scenery — spring,  pitcher,  trees,  flowers  —  which  may 
all  be  imaginary.  Recall  the  directions  and  sug- 
gestions given  for  dramatizing  in  previous  lessons. 
(See  pp.  14,  38.) 

Ill  (55).     Oral  Questions 

Allow  the  pupils  not  more  than  eight  or  ten 
minutes  to  prepare  this  exercise ;  even  five  minutes 
of  application  is  vastly  better  for  them,  and  will  give 
better  results,  than  will  a  half-hour  of  dawdling. 
See  to  it  that  they  are  concentrating  their  attention 
every  instant  on  the  work  before  them.  Remember 
that  they  are  just  beginning  to  learn  how  to  study; 
it  is  a  critical  time.  If  you  take  this  study  period 
as  a  convenient  time  for  you  to  do  something  not 
connected  with  the  pupils'  study,  if  you  forget  them 
for  fifteen  minutes,  then  find,  on  inquiry,  that  none 
of  them  has  "  had  time  "  to  get  through  with  all  the 
questions,  if  you  then  allow  them  a  "few  minutes 
more,"  —  while  you  continue  with  your  own  affairs, 
—  and  if,  finally,  when  you  take  up  the  recitation, 
you  find  wandering  attention,  little  interest,  and  less 
knowledge,  do  not  be  in  the  least  surprised.  That 
is  just  what  you  should  expect  with  that  kind  of 
preparation.  And  if  you  permit  such  study  periods 
regularly,  frequently,  or  even  occasionally,  and  if  later 
you  hear  grammar  teachers,  high  school  teachers, 
and  college  professors  complain  that  their  pupils 
have  never  learned  to  study,  to  concentrate  their 


ORAL  QUESTIONS  69 

minds  on  the  task  before  them,  do  not  be  surprised. 
You  might  have  foretold  this  result,  because  in 
those  pupils'  first  study  lessons  you  did  all  that 
could  be  done  then  to  bring  it  to  pass. 

The  pupils'  study  period  —  particularly  when  pu- 
pils are  just  learning  how  to  study — demands  the 
undivided  and  concentrated  attention  of  the  teacher. 
The  pervading  influence  of  this  example,  were  there 
really  nothing  for  the  teacher  to  do,  would  be  abun- 
dant warrant  for  it.  But  the  teacher  thus  con- 
centrating her  attention  on  her  studying  pupils  will 
be  fully  occupied;  this  pupil  will  need  a  hint  or  a 
suggestion,  that  one  a  question,  another  a  bit  of 
encouragement,  still  another  perhaps  a  sharp  recall 
to  his  task,  and  so  on.  The  teacher  must  realize 
that  the  habit  of  concentration  —  or  of  dissipation  — 
which  the  pupils  are  now  forming,  is  of  infinitely 
more  importance  than  is  the  learning  of  the  lesson 
before  them. 

At  the  end  of  this  brief  but  concentrated  study 
period  —  it  is  not  at  all  necessary  to  wait  for  every 
pupil  to  have  answered  to  himself  every  question  — 
have  all  books  closed,  your  own  as  well  as  the 
pupils'.  Ask  questions  to  bring  out  systematically 
and  progressively  the  main  ideas  of  the  story ;  see 
that  your  questions  include  most  of  those  that  the 
pupils  have  been  studying  in  their  book.  Do  not 
fail  to  have  the  pupils  ask  at  least  the  questions 
they  were  directed  in   their  book  to  prepare ;  en- 


70  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

courage  them  to  ask  others.  Do  not,  however, 
permit  questions  or  comments  that  are  irrelevant. 
Train  to  concentration  of  thought,  and  give  a  con- 
stant example  of  it ;  this  is  just  as  important  in  the 
recitation  as  in  the  study  period. 

Supplementary  Work* 

The  story,  Mabel  and  the  Fairy  Folk,  may  be  re- 
produced orally.  The  reading,  the  dramatizing,  and 
the  study  should  have  prepared  pupils  to  do  this 
well.  Recall  the  directions  and  suggestions  about 
oral  reproduction  already  given  (pp.  16,  42).  Sup- 
plementary work,  if  undertaken  at  all,  must,  of 
course,  be  just  as  well  done  as  though  it  were 
regular  work. 

IV  (57).     Writing  Questions 

Give  your  undivided  attention  to  the  pupils  while 
they  write  the  questions  as  directed  in  their  book. 
First,  see  that  every  one  understands  what  his  book 
tells  him  to  do ;  then  see  that  he  does  it  as  quickly 
and  as  well  as  possible.  Let  the  quicker  pupils 
keep  busy,  by  writing  more  than  three  questions. 
Do  not  give  more  than  eight  or  ten  minutes  to  this 
part  of  the  lesson,  even  though  not  all  pupils  com- 
plete three  questions. 

*  From  this  point  on,  supplementary  work  will  be  suggested  frequently. 
This  work  is  what  the  designation  of  it  indicates  ;  none  of  the  regular  work 
depends  upon  it.  It  is  offered  for  teachers  to  use  in  their  discretion,  when- 
ever time  permits,  or  the  needs  of  their  class  make  it  desirable. 


SUPPLEMENTARY  WORK  71 

Impress  upon  the  children  the  necessity  of  asking 
good,  sensible  questions.  Give  individual  sugges- 
tion and  help  to  those  who  need  it. 

Now  have  papers  exchanged,  questions  read,  and 
answered  orally,  as  follows :  A  child  reads  a  ques- 
tion. If  it  is  correctly  written,  he  answers  it  in  a 
sentence ;  if  anything  is  wrong  about  it,  he  says,  "  I 
shall  not  answer  this  question,  because "  (giv- 
ing the  reason,  as,  "  it  does  not  begin  with  a  capital 
letter  ").  Other  questions  are  read  and  answered,  or 
rejected,  in  the  same  way.  The  teacher  should  be 
in  a  position  to  see  what  mistakes,  if  any,  the  pupil 
reading  makes. 

Supplementary  Work 

1.  Have  papers  read  and  answered  that,  for  lack 
of  time,  may  not  have  been  taken  up  at  the  regular 
exercise. 

2.  Have  questions  corrected  by  pupils  who  wrote 
them,  giving  reasons  for  their  corrections,  as  directed 
in  Chapter  Two  (VII,  p.  48). 

3.  Distribute  the  pupils'  papers,  which  have 
been  preserved  for  the  purpose.  Let  pupils  write 
answers  to  the  questions,  making  a  complete  sentence 
for  each  answer.  They  should  be  reminded  of  the 
correct  beginning  and  ending  of  statements.  If  this 
exercise  is  given,  it  must  be  carried  out  and  cor- 
rected just  as  carefully,  and  in  the  same  way,  as  a 
regular  exercise. 


72  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

V  (58).     How  Titles  are  Written 

Study  this  lesson  with  the  pupils,  making  sure 
that  they  understand  it,  but  giving  only  such  direct 
help  as  may  be  necessary.  This  lesson  contains 
the  model  for  the  study  of  titles. 

VI  (59).     Copying  a  Story 

The  purpose  of  this  lesson  is  to  give  the  pupil 
drill  in  writing  a  title  properly  and  to  review  the 
use  of  capitals  to  begin  sentences,  the  period  to  end 
statements,  and  the  question  mark  to  end  questions.. 
On  the  blackboard,  or  on  a  sheet  of  paper  held  up 
before  the  class,  show  pupils:  (1)  where  to  place 
the  title  (in  the  middle  of  the  page),  (2)  the  space 
to  leave  between  the  title  and  the  first  line,  and 
(3)  the  indention  of  the  first  line.  About  the  in- 
dention of  the  first  line,  it  will  be  sufficient  at  this 
time  to  tell  and  show  them  that  there  should  be  left 
a  space  of  about  one  inch  between  the  edge  of  the 
paper  and  the  beginning  of  the  first  line,  while  that 
between  the  edge  and  other  lines  should  be  only 
half  as  much.  The  subject  of  margins  will  be 
taken  up  later. 

As  the  pupils  copy,  the  teacher  should  be  moving 
about  among  them,  helping  them,  by  a  hint  or  a 
question,  to  avoid  errors  and  to  make  corrections 
when  necessary.  The  corrections  are  to  be  made 
as  previously  directed  (p.  49). 


DICTATION  73 

VII  (60).     Dictation:  "The  Trees  and  the  Woodcutter" 

The  purpose  of  this  exercise  is  to  test  and  to 
apply  the  pupils'  knowledge  of  the  writing  of  a  title 
and  the  correct  use  of  capitals,  period,  and  question 
mark.  Dictate  the  story  already  studied  and  copied, 
The  Trees  and  the  Woodcutter.  Let  the  exercise 
proceed  like  this : 

Teacher :  This  is  the  title,  The  Trees  and  the  Woodcutter. 
Pupils  repeat  the  title,  The  Trees  and  the  Woodcutter,  slowly 
and  distinctly  in  concert.     Then  all  write. 

Teacher :  This  is  the  first  sentence,  A  woodcutter,  etc. 
Pupils  repeat  the  sentence  in  concert,  then  write  it. 

Teacher :  This  is  the  next  (or  second)  sentence,  The  trees,  etc. 
Pupils  repeat  and  write. 

The  other  sentences  are  dictated,  repeated,  and 
written  in  the  same  manner.  It  is  worthy  of  note 
that  whenever  speaking  of  a  sentence,  the  teacher 
uses  the  word  "sentence." 

Pupils  must  be  trained  to  concentrated  attention 
in  taking  dictation.  As  a  rule,  the  teacher  should 
give  a  sentence  only  once ;  pupils  should  repeat 
only  once.  Sentences  must  be  given  as  wholes, 
never  broken  up  into  words.  If  your  pupils  are 
not  yet  capable  of  taking  this  dictation  in  this  way, 
simplify  and  shorten  it.  Two  short  sentences  can 
easily  be  made  of  the  first  rather  long  one ;  the  rest 
may  be  abbreviated  and  changed.  Thus  simplified, 
it  might  read  as  follows : 


74  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

A  woodcutter  went  into  the  forest.  He  asked  the  trees  to  give 
him  a  handle  for  his  ax.  The  trees  gave  him  a  young  ash  tree. 
He  made  a  handle  of  it.  Then  what  do  you  think  happened? 
The  woodcutter  began  to  cut  down  the  trees.  Soon  all  the  tall 
trees  were  laid  low.  Were  they  not  well  punished  for  giving  up 
their  little  brother? 

Read  again  carefully  the  suggestions  about  dicta- 
tion (p.  50). 

Let  the  exercise  be  corrected  at  once,  as  directed 
in  Chapter  Two  (p.  51). 

This  correction  should  take  but  a  few  minutes,  if 
the  teacher  is  accustomed  to  see  quickly  and  to  work 
rapidly.  Pay  especial  attention  to  the  correction  of 
any  mistakes  in  the  title,  as  this  is  the  new  subject: 
which  is  being  taught.  If  a  child  has  omitted  a 
capital,  insist  that  he  give  an  exact  and  full  state- 
ment of  the  reason  for  using  it,  thus,  "  The  should 
have  been  begun  with  a  capital  because  it  is  the  first 
word  of  a  title,"  or,  "  I  should  have  begun  trees  with 
a  capital  because  it  is  an  important  word  of  a  title." 

VIII  (60).     Copying  Titles 

The  corrections  of  errors  by  the  pupils  should 
begin  as  soon  as  the  first  title  is  copied.  The  teacher 
passes  about  among  the  children  as  they  work,  and 
calls  their  attention  to  errors,  as  directed  in  Chapter 
Two  (p.  49,  VII).  The  reason  for  the  correction 
must  always  be  insisted  upon  before  the  correction 
is  made  by  the  pupil. 


SUPPLEMENTARY  WORK  75 

Supplementary  Work 
Write  lists  of  titles  upon  the  board  for  pupils  to 
study   and    to    recite    upon.     These    may    also   be 
copied,  and  the  work  corrected. 

IX  (61).     Writing  Titles  from  Dictation 

Dictate  the  titles  copied  in  Section  VIII,  p.  60. 
Have  work  corrected  at  once. 

Supplementary  Work 

Without  study  by  the  pupils,  dictate  several  easy 
titles  taken  from  stories  in  the  reading  book.  Diffi- 
cult words  should  be  spelled  orally  before  pupils 
write  them.  One  pupil  may  write  at  the  board, 
while  others  look  out  for  errors,  or  all  may  write  at 
their  seats.  In  either  case,  errors  should  be  cor- 
rected, and  reasons  given  for  every  correction,  just 
as  conscientiously  as  though  this  were  regular 
instead  of  supplementary  work.  Better  omit  the 
supplementary  work  altogether  than  to  let  it  be 
done  shiftlessly. 

Some  pupil  may  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  in 
some  printed  titles  capital  letters  are  used  through- 
out. If  this  should  happen,  it  would  be  well  to 
have  pupils  examine  titles  in  several  of  their  books. 
They  will  probably  discover  that  in  some  books  the 
first  letter  of  some  words  of  the  title  is  larger  than 
the  other  letters,  though  all  are  capitals.  When 
such  is  the  case,  let  them  discover,  if  they  can,  that 


76  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

the  words  beginning  with  the  large  capitals  are  the 
first  and  important  words  of  the  title. 

It  may  be  easily  explained  that  the  rules  given  in 
the  pupils'  book  concern  written  not  printed  titles. 

X  (61).     Giving  Titles  to  Pictures 

Prepare  pupils  to  make  good  titles  by  studying 
with  them  possible  titles  of  pictures  in  Chapters  One 
and  Two.  Get  the  children  to  give  as  many  titles 
as  possible  that  they  think  suitable  for  these  pictures. 
Write  all  titles  given  on  the  blackboard.  Criticize 
each,  rejecting  the  poor  ones  and  retaining  the  good 
ones.  For  example,  such  titles  as  the  following  may 
be  suggested  for  the  garden  wall  picture : 

The  Boy  Pointing.  (Poor,  because  it  does  not  recall  the  pic- 
ture as  a  whole,  nor  does  it  suggest  any  story  that  can  be  easily 
read  from  the  picture.) 

The  Ladder.     (Poor,  for  reasons  just  given.) 
The  Garden  Wall.     (Rather  poor ;  suggests  little.) 
The  Children  Who   Climbed  to  the  Top  of  the  Garden 
Wall.     (Better  than  the  preceding,  but  too  long.) 

"  O  Look  !  "     (Good ;    it  arouses  interest  at  once  and  suggests 
something  of  the  story.) 
Seen  from  the  Garden  Wall.     (Good,  for  reasons  just  given.) 

XI  (61).     Picture  Stories 

(Santa  Claus  picture,  p.  63) 

Let  the  pupils  study  the  lesson  in  their  book 
alone ;  it  should  not  be  too  difficult  for  them  after 
the   picture    stories    they   have    told    in    preceding 


PICTURE   STORIES  77 

chapters.  After  the  study,  allow  several  to  tell 
their  stories  in  their  own  way,  just  as  they  have 
thought  them  out.  Then  you  may  offer  sugges- 
tions for  improving  the  stories.  Probably  sugges- 
tions will  be  chiefly  needed  to  aid  the  children  in 
putting  their  stories  into  better  form. 

Perhaps  some  stories  will  run  something  like 
this: 

It  was  Christmas  Eve.  Will,  Dick,  and  Lucy  hung  their 
stockings  by  the  fireplace  and  went  off  to  bed. 

"  Don't  go  to  sleep,"  said  Dick.  "  Let  us  go  into  the  sitting 
room  and  wait  by  our  stockings  till  Santa  Claus  comes,  and  then 
we  can  tell  him  just  what  we  want  for  Christmas." 

"  Good  !  "  said  Lucy.  "  I  want  to  tell  him  just  what  kind  of 
doll  I  want." 

"No,"  said  Will.  "Don't  go.  Santa  does  not  like  children 
to  watch  for  him." 

But  Dick  and  Lucy  would  not  listen  to  Will.  They  crept 
softly  into  the  sitting  room  and  sat  down  before  the  fire  to  wait 
for  Santa. 

Perhaps  the  remainder  of  the  story  will  answer 
the  following  questions : 

How  long  did  they  have  to  wait? 

At  last  what  did  they  hear? 

What  did  they  say? 

What  did  Santa  say  when  he  saw  them? 

("  Ah,  ha  !  There  are  Dick  and  Lucy  waiting  for  me.  I'll 
go  away  and  come  back  after  they  are  asleep.") 

What  did  Santa  Claus  do? 

How  did  Dick  and  Lucy  account  for  the  noise  they  had 
heard?     (The  wind,  snowslide,  etc.) 


78  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

What  did  they  do? 

When  Santa  returned  what  did  he  put  in  Dick's  and  Lucy's 
stockings  to  show  them  that  he  did  not  like  them  to  wait  for 
him? 

What  did  he  give  Will  ? 

Did  the  children  ever  wait  up  for  Santa  Claus  again? 

Supplementary  Work 

Have  the  Christmas  story  told  from  different 
standpoints.  Let  the  children  choose  freely  who 
they  will  be ;  then  see  that  they  keep  to  their 
chosen  characters  consistently  in  telling  their  story. 

i.  Let  the  little  boy  who  watched  for  Santa  tell 
his  story  next  day  to  one  of  his  friends. 

2.  Let  the  little  girl  tell  her  story  to  one  of  her 
friends. 

3.  Let  Santa  Claus  tell  the  story  as  one  of  his 
Christmas  adventures. 

See  that  every  story  told  is  given  a  suitable  title. 

XII  (62).     More  Picture  Stories 

(The  monkey  and  the  mirror,  p.  65) 

After  the  pupils  have  studied  the  lesson  in  their 
books  alone  for  a  few  minutes,  let  several  of  them 
try  to  tell  the  story.  Help  them  only  as  much  as 
is  necessary  to  bring  their  ideas  into  connected, 
progressive  order. 

Encourage  all  signs  of  originality.  Work  for 
brevity,  life,  point.  If  the  children's  stories  soon 
get  to  be  all  alike  and  expressed  in  the  same  Ian- 


MORE  PICTURE   STORIES  79 

guage,  you  may  be  sure  that  they  are  not  really 
telling  their  own  stories,  but  merely  parroting  the 
stories  of  others.  That  must  be  stopped,  even  if,  as 
a  last  resort,  you  have  to  stop  the  exercise  to  do  it. 

As  soon  as  the  children's  originality  seems  about 
exhausted,  tell  them  this  y£sop  fable. 

The  Dog  and  his  Image 

A  dog  with  a  piece  of  meat  in  his  mouth  was  one  day  crossing 
a  stream.  Looking  down  into  the  clear  water  he  saw  his  own 
image.  The  silly  dog  thought  he  saw  another  dog  with  another 
piece  of  meat.  He  made  up  his  mind  to  get  the  second  piece 
of  meat,  so  he  made  a  grab  at  his  own  shadow.  But,  in  trying  to 
get  the  image  of  a  piece  of  meat,  he  lost  the  real  piece  he  already 
had. 

This  fable  will  serve  as  a  model.  It  will  stimulate 
the  slower,  less  imaginative  children ;  it  will  show 
the  more  original  how  to  arrange  and  present  their 
ideas  effectively.  It  will  add  a  bit  to  the  literary 
material  that  all  children  should  be  accumulating. 

After  this  fable  has  been  told,  discussed,  and  com- 
pared with  the  stories  suggested  by  the  monkey  and 
mirror  picture,  have  several  children  —  particularly 
some  of  the  slower  ones  —  tell  their  stories  of  the 
monkey.  Note  the  effect  of  the  fable  on  their  ren- 
dering. 

Have  every  child  give  an  appropriate  title  to  his 
story.  As  an  attractive  or  suggestive  title  is  an 
important  part  of  any  story,  it  is  worth  while  to 
spend  a  good  deal  of  time  in  criticizing,  modifying, 


80  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

and  comparing  titles  until  the  best  one  is  found. 
Not  all  the  stories,  if  they  have  any  considerable 
individuality,  should  be  fitted  with  the  title,  The 
Monkey  and  the  Mirror;  there  might  well  be  stories 
that  such  titles  as  these  would  fit  better :  The  Greedy 
Monkey,  The  Two  Monkeys,  The  Mirror  s  Trick, 
What  the  Candles  Saw,  He  Will  Know  Better  Next 
Time,  He  Will  Never  Do  That  Again. 

XIII  (66).     Telling  True  Stories 

Help  children  to  make  stories  of  their  experiences 
suggested  by  the  questions  in  their  book.  (See 
p.  44.) 

XIV  (67).     A  Class  Exercise  in  Written  Reproduction 

Tell  the  children  the  following  story: 

One  night  some  Indian  children  saw  a  star  fall  into  a  pond. 
The  next  morning  they  found  a  new  flower  growing  there.  It 
was  sweet  and  white.  It  had  a  golden  heart  like  a  star.  This 
was  our  first  water  lily. 

Let  the  exercise  proceed  somewhat  as  follows : 

Teacher :  What  would  be  a  good  title  for  this  story  ? 

The  children  are  allowed  to  decide  on  one  of  several  good 
titles  that  will  undoubtedly  be  given  by  them,  such  as  The  Star, 
The  Water  Lily,  or  The  First  Water  Lily  ;  perhaps  they  decide  on 
The  Star. 

Teacher:  I  will  write  the  title  on  the  board  if  you  will  tell  me 
just  how  to  do  it.  (Pupils  must  be  required  to  be  definite  and 
exact.) 


CLASS   EXERCISE  IN  WRITTEN   REPRODUCTION     81 

First  Pupil:  The,  capital  T-h-e  ;  The  begins  with  a  capital  be- 
cause it  is  the  first  word  in  a  title.     (Teacher  writes.) 

Second  Pupil:  Star,  capital  S-t-a-r ;  Star  begins  with  a  capital 
because  it  is  an  important  word  in  a  title. 

Teacher :  Give  me  the  first  sentence  of  the  story,  telling  what 
the  Indian  children  saw  one  night. 

(The  teacher  should  insist  on  a  good,  clear  sentence ;  it  may 
well  not  be  the  same  as  the  one  used  by  the  teacher  in  telling  the 
story.) 

Third  Pupil :  One  night  some  Indian  children  saw  a  star  fall. 

(Of  course  this  is  only  a  sentence  that  may  be  given.  After  any 
satisfactory  sentence  for  the  beginning  of  the  story  has  been  given, 
have  that  sentence  repeated  by  the  class  in  concert.  Then  let 
the  children  stand,  a  row  at  a  time,  and  each  child  in  the  row 
give,  in  his  turn,  directions  for  writing  the  word  of  the  sentence 
that  falls  to  him.  The  teacher  writes  as  directed.  No  time  should 
be  wasted  in  calling  pupils  by  name,  or  even  in  calling  "  next.") 

First  Pupil :  One,  capital  O-n-e  ;  One  begins  with  a  capital  be- 
cause it  is  the  first  word  in  a  sentence. 

Second  Pupil:  Night,  n-i-g-h-t. 

Third  Pupil :  Some,  s-o-m-e. 

Teacher  :  Indian,  capital  I-n-d-i-a-n ;  Indian  begins  with  a 
capital  because  it  is  the  name  of  a  people.  (This  is  all  that  it  is 
necessary  to  tell  the  children  now ;  later  they  will  learn  about  the 
use  of  capitals  to  begin  proper  names.) 

In  this  manner  the  work  continues  until  all  the  words  of  the 
sentence  have  been  spelled  by  the  pupils  and  written  by  the 
teacher.  Finally,  some  pupil  concludes  the  dictation  with  this 
statement :  "  There  must  be  a  period  at  the  end  of  this  sentence 
because  it  is  a  statement."  The  exercise  is  continued  with  other 
sentences  similarly  dictated  and  spelled  by  the  children  and 
written  by  the  teacher,  somewhat  as  follows  : 

Teacher :  Give  the  second  sentence,  telling  where  the  star  fell. 

A  Pupil:  It  fell  into  a  pond. 

(Teacher  writes  as  children  spell  the  words.) 


82  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

Teacher :  Give  the  next  sentence,  telling  what  the  Indian  chil- 
dren found  the  next  morning. 

A  Pupil :  The  next  morning  the  children  found  a  new  flower. 

(Children  spell ;  teacher  writes.) 

Teacher :  Give  the  next  sentence,  telling  what  kind  of  flower  it 
was. 

A  Pupil :  It  was  sweet  and  white,  and  it  had  a  star  in  its  heart. 

(Children  spell;  teacher  writes.) 

Teacher :  Give  the  last  sentence,  telling  what  this  new  flower 
was. 

A  Pupil:  This  flower  was  our  first  water  lily. 

(Pupils  spell;  teacher  writes.) 

When  finished,  the  story  on  the  board  may  be 
something  like  this  : 

The  Star 

One  night  some  Indian  children  saw  a  star  fall.  It  fell  into  a 
pond.  The  next  morning  the  children  found  a  new  flower.  It 
was  sweet  and  white,  and  it  had  a  star  in  its  heart.  This  flower 
was  our  first  water  lily. 

Of  course  no  reproduction  will  work  out  exactly 
like  the  above.  The  teacher  should  make  no  effort 
to  have  it  so.  This  exercise  is  given  merely  to 
show  concretely  and  in  detail  the  essential  features 
of  any  exercise  of  this  kind  which  is  to  be  effective. 
Some  of  these  essential  features  may  be  summarized 
as  follows : 

First,  clear,  definite,  and  complete  thoughts  must 
be  aroused  in  the  children.  Each  thought  must  be 
expressed  in  a  sentence.  Thoughts  and  sentences 
must    be    arranged    in    logical    order.     The    word 


CLASS   EXERCISE  IN   WRITTEN   REPRODUCTION     83 

"  sentence "  is  to  be  used  by  teacher  and  pupils 
whenever  speaking  of  a  sentence. 

Second,  the  exercise  must  engage  the  attention 
and  activity  of  the  whole  class.  A  few  of  the  bright- 
est children  must  not  be  allowed  to  do  all,  or  even 
most  of  the  work.  It  is  all  within  the  capacity  of 
every  child  in  the  class;  the  slow  and  the  dull  must 
be  made  to  do  their  full  share.  If  this  is  not  done, 
they  will  become  still  slower  and  duller  ;  they  are  not 
yet  too  dull  to  observe  that  others  are  depended  upon 
for  all  the  work  —  if  such  be  the  case  —  and  they  re- 
spond as  any  one  would  do  under  similar  conditions, 
with  inattention  and  lethargy.  The  exercise,  espe- 
cially the  spelling  and  writing,  should  be  conducted 
rapidly,  with  energy  and  snap.  Every  child  should  be 
taught  to  be  ready  and  to  respond  promptly  when  his 
turn  comes,  without  waiting  even  to  be  called  upon. 

Third,  every  word  should  be  spelled  in  the  first 
exercises  of  this  kind.  Later,  the  spelling  of  only 
the  more  difficult  words  need  be  called  for.  It  is  to 
be  remembered  that  most  mistakes  made  in  written 
spelling  occur  in  the  common,  much-used  words. 

Fourth,  every  exercise  of  this  kind  is  to  be  made  to 
afford  the  best  kind  of  drill  in  the  correct  use  of  cap- 
itals and  marks  of  punctuation,  as  these  are  taught. 

Finally,  and  in  a  word,  the  exercise  is  training  the 
children  to  think  clearly  and  connectedly,  to  express 
their  thoughts  clearly  and  definitely,  and  to  put  that 
expression  into  mechanically  correct  form. 


84  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

Supplementary  Work 

Have  reproduced  in  the  same  way  the  story,  The 
Trees  and  the  Woodcutter.     (Pupil's  book,  p.  58.) 

XV  (67).     Copying  Story  from  the  Board 

Let  the  children  copy  the  story,  The  Star,  from 
the  blackboard.  Before  they  begin,  direct  their 
thoughts  to  certain  things  which  the  copying  is  de- 
signed to  make  habitual.  This  may  best  be  done  by 
asking  such  questions  as  these : 

With  what  kind  of  letter  does  the  first  word  of  a  title  begin? 
How  do  the  important  words  in  a  title  begin? 
How  does  the  first  word  of  every  sentence  begin? 
With  what  does  every  statement  end? 

Have  pupils  correct  any  mistakes  at  once,  as 
directed  in  previous  lessons.  Do  not  fail  to  get  a 
clear  statement  of  the  reason  for  every  correction 
before  the  pupil  makes  it. 

XVI  (67).     Studying  a  Poem 

Read  the  poem,  Autumn  Fires,  to  the  children ; 
read  it  so  that  they  will  see  the  pictures  that  each 
stanza  paints;  read  it  so  that  they  will  feel  the 
atmosphere  and  the  spirit  of  it.  Have  the  children 
read  it,  individually  and  in  concert. 

Study  with  the  children  the  questions  following 
the  poem.  Ask  other  questions;  encourage  the 
children  to  ask  questions  and  to  make  comments, 


WRITING   A    STANZA   FROM   MEMORY  85 

remembering  that  only  relevant  questions  and  com- 
ments are  allowable. 

After  the  children  have  studied  the  last  stanza 
for  a  minute  or  two,  as  directed,  let  as  many  as  can 
say  it,  recite  it  aloud,  the  others  listening.  This 
repetition  will  help  to  fix  it  in  the  minds  of  the 
slower  children  who  have  perhaps  not  learned  it 
alone.  After  several  have  repeated  it,  the  whole 
class  may  say  it  together. 

XVII  (69).     Writing  a  Stanza  from  Memory 

This  is  a  lesson  for  the  teacher  to  study  with  the 
children.  Try  to  insure  a  reasonable  degree  of 
success  in  writing  the  stanza  from  memory.  This 
may  be  done  by  seeing  that  the  children  try  to  re- 
call the  stanza  as  they  are  directed  to  do  in  their 
book;  that  they  look  back  to  it,  and  study  it  care- 
fully, if  this  seems  necessary.  It  will  do  none  of 
them  harm  and  it  may  aid  many  to  have  the  stanza 
repeated  once  or  twice  in  concert,  before  any  try  to 
write  it  from  memory.  Ask  about  the  beginning  of 
each  line  and  the  mark  at  the  end.  In  all  of  this, 
remember  that  the  best  time  to  correct  mistakes  is 
before  they  occur. 

See  that  the  pupils  correct  any  mistakes  by  com- 
paring their  copy  with  the  original. 

Look  over  their  statements  to  see  that  they  are 
correctly  written  and  punctuated.  Have  any  errors 
corrected,  as  directed  in  previous  lessons. 


CHAPTER    FOUR 

The  careful  preliminary  study  and  comparison  of 
the  work  provided  in  this  chapter  with  that  already 
given  in  preceding  chapters  —  a  study  which  should 
invariably  be  made  before  entering  on  the  work  of 
any  chapter  with  the  children  —  should  impress  you, 
among  other  things,  with  the  following: 

1.  The  different  kinds  of  exercises,  once  introduced,  are 
kept  up  from  chapter  to  chapter.  Instead  of  becoming 
monotonous  they  become  more  interesting  as  children  gain 
in  power  —  in  originality  and  independence.  As  examples, 
note  the  varied  stories,  fables,  and  myths,  all  intensely  in- 
teresting, that  furnish  material  for  conversation,  study, 
dramatizing,  and  reproduction;  the  use  of  riddles  (Chapter 
Two)  in  the  study  of  questions,  statements,  and  their  marks 
of  punctuation;  and  the  game  of  names  (Chapter  Four)  in 
teaching  the  writing  of  proper  names. 

2.  Increasing  originality  and  independence  is  expected 
of  the  children  in  all  the  exercises  —  reading,  study,  dram- 
atizing, reproducing. 

3.  The  distinctly  new  work  consists  of  the  following 
only: 

(a)  The  use  of  capitals  in  the  writing  of  proper  names. 

(b)  The  use  of  their  and  there;  of  to,  too,  and  two, 

86 


STUDY   AND   ORAL   REPRODUCTION  87 

I  (71).     Study  and  Oral  Reproduction  of  the  Fable, 
"The  Four  Oxen11 

This  is  a  lesson  for  the  pupils  to  study  carefully 
in  preparation  for  the  oral  reproduction.  In  their 
book,  they  are  told,  in  considerable  detail,  how  to 
study  the  lesson.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance 
that  they  study  it  systematically  and  carefully,  as 
directed.  Probably  many  of  them  will  need  some 
help,  —  a  hint,  a  word  of  encouragement,  a  bit  of 
stimulus.  This  help  should  be  individual;  it  should 
be  just  sufficient  —  not  too  much  —  to  enable  the 
pupil  to  do  for  himself. 

Just  because  this  lesson  culminates  in  the  oral 
reproduction  of  the  story,  do  not  fall  into  the  griev- 
ous and  common  error  of  accepting  —  even  of  encour- 
aging—  the  memorizing  of  the  words  by  repeated 
reading,  by  concentrating  attention  on  these.  It 
is  quite  possible  for  a  child,  with  two  or  three  min- 
utes' study,  to  reproduce  this  story  glibly,  without 
having  really  read  it,  without  having  constructed  the 
picture  in  his  mind  at  all.  It  is  even  possible  for 
the  same  child  to  answer  the  questions  asked  in  his 
book,  and  other  similar  questions.  He  does  this 
merely  from  word  memory.  This  possibility  will 
become  actuality  in  many  cases,  and  that,  too,  with 
the  most  capable  children,  if  the  teacher  permits  it. 

Does  a  child  hesitate  and  grope  for  a  word  ?  Do 
you  help  him  by  giving  him  a  word,  the  next  word? 


SS  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

Does  he,  for  instance,  recite  the  first  two  sentences 
of  the  story  of  the  four  oxen  and  the  lion  in  the 
words  of  the  book  ?  Does  he  start  the  third  sen- 
tence, "But  whenever "and  stop;  do  you,  or 

does  some  pupil,  help  him  out  by  saying,  "  the 
oxen  "  ?  Words,  words,  words  !  Such  an  exercise 
is  worse  than  a  waste  of  time  and  opportunity;  it  is 
positively  pernicious.  It  is  training  the  child's 
mind  to  carry  on  its  processes  with  forms  that  lack 
substance,  with  husks  that  cover  no  kernels;  it  is 
starving  instead  of  feeding  the  mind;  its  end  is  men- 
tal vacuity,  at  best,  or  at  worst,  the  ability  to  talk 
without  saying  anything. 

In  a  word,  there  is  little  or  no  value  for  the  child  — 
there  may  be  positive  harm  —  in  memorizing  and 
reproducing  the  words  of  this  story.  There  is  much 
value  in  studying  the  story  as  the  child's  book 
directs.  By  such  study,  the  child  is  learning  really  to 
read,  to  form  in  his  mind  the  thoughts,  the  pictures, 
which  the  words  describe;  to  hold  those  pictures jn 
mind,  to  examine,  to  analyze  them  freely ;  and,  finally, . 
to  describe  the  pictures  in  his  own  fitting  words. 

When  it  comes  to  the  recitation,  this  must  be 
conducted  in  harmony  with  the  study  that  has  pre- 
ceded. Encourage  pupils  to  use  their  own  language  ; 
commend  originality  of  expression.  Insist,  only, 
that  the  essential  facts  of  the  story  be  observed. 
Encourage  free  and  full  expression,  but  put  no 
premium  on  verbosity.  Do  not  commend  a  child 
for  much  speaking,  but  for  speaking  effectively. 


THEIR  AND    THERE  89 

Study  again  the  suggestions  and  directions  given 
in  previous  chapters  for  conducting  exercises  in  oral 
reproduction  (pp.  16,  42,  63).  In  the  criticism,  be 
especially  careful  that  every  child  knows  just  where- 
in his  work  was  good  and  wherein  it  should  be 
improved.  In  every  effort  at  improvement,  whether 
of  his  own  previous  performance,  or  of  the  per- 
formance of  another,  make  sure  that  the  child  has  a 
clear  conception  of  what  he  is  trying  to  do. 

Supplementary  Work 

Let  the  children  study  in  a  similar  manner  and 
reproduce  any  short,  suitable  story.  Some  of  the 
stories  already  given  in  their  book  may  be  used,  as 
The  Blind  Men  and  the  Elephant  (p.  18),  or  The 
Trees  and  the  Woodcutter  (p.  58). 

II  (73).      Their  and  There 

Study  this  lesson  with  the  children.  Just  before 
they  copy  the  sentences,  filling  the  blanks,  give  them 
several  sentences,  orally,  containing  their  and  there, 
and  have  them  tell  which  word  is  used,  spelling  the 
word  and  giving  the  reason  for  its  use.  For  illus- 
tration : 

Teacher :  The  naughty  kittens  have  lost  their  mittens. 

Pupil:  Their,  t-h-e-i-r  (spelling) ;  because  in  that  sentence 
their  means  belonging  to  the  kittens. 

Teacher :  Look  up,  little  kittens,  there  are  your  mittens. 

Pupil :  There,  t-h-e-r-e;  because  in  that  sentence  there  means 
in  that  place. 


90  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

Have  pupils  correct  their  written  sentences  as  a 
part  of  the  exercise.  Let  them  give  the  reason  for 
every  correction  before  making  it,  as  already  directed 
(p.  49).  For  example,  if  a  child  has  used  their  in 
the  second  sentence,  he  will  say,  when  he  discovers 
his  mistake,  "  I  should  use  there  in  this  sentence, 
because  it  means  in  that  place"  and  make  the  cor- 
rection. 

Supplementary  Work 

i.  Additional  sentences,  with  blanks  to  be  filled 
with  there  or  their,  may  be  written  on  the  board. 

2.  Pupils  may  make  original  sentences,  using 
there  or  their  in  each.  Teacher  may  assign  subjects 
about  which  to  make  these  sentences,  as,  boys  and 
marbles,  girls  and  hoops. 

This  work  must  be  carefully  done  and  rapidly 
corrected.  Neglect  of  the  correction  makes  pupils 
careless  of  errors,  and  their  repetition  fixes  the  habit. 
If  you  have  not  time  to  see  that  these  exercises  are 
done  correctly,  do  not  give  them.  They  cannot  be 
safely  used  to  "  keep  pupils  busy  ";  it  were  far  better 
to  let  the  pupils  go  out  to  play.  These  exercises 
should  never  be  required  of  pupils  who  already  have 
the  habit  of  using  these  two  words  correctly;  no 
improvement  is  possible,  so  such  exercises  are  a 
waste  of  pupils'  time  at  best.  At  worst,  they  invite 
careless  work,  and  foster  the  formation  of  bad  hab- 
its;  they  make  too  little  demand  on  the  pupil  to 
hold  him  up  to  his  best. 


WRITING   THE   STORY  91 

III  (75).     Writing  the  Story,  "The  Pour  Oxen" 

See  that  each  child  understands  how  to  study  the 
story  preparatory  to  writing  it.  See  that  each  one 
does  study  it  as  directed.  Give  individual  help 
when  needed. 

Do  not  try  to  keep  the  children  together  in  this 
study.  It  is  an  individual  matter.  Some  will  know 
how  to  spell  all  words  with  little  or  no  study,  others 
will  have  to  study  many  words ;  some  will  be  pre- 
pared to  write  much  sooner  than  others.  All  should 
be  provided  with  paper  and  pencil  at  the  beginning 
of  the  exercise ;  each  one  should  be  allowed  to  write 
as  soon  as  he  thinks  he  is  ready. 

In  this  preparation,  and  in  the  writing  of  this 
story,  the  children  will  need  your  full  attention. 
Watch  especially  the  work  of  the  poorer  pupils. 
Anticipate  their  tendency  to  disregard  the  division 
of  the  story  into  sentences,  by  having  them  write 
complete  answers  to  a  series  of  questions  suitable  to 
bring  out  connected  statements,  as : 

Where  did  the  four  oxen  feed?  (Four  oxen  fed  together  in  a 
field.) 

What  did  a  lion  try  to  do?  (A  lion  tried  to  kill  one  of  the 
oxen.) 

What  did  the  oxen  do  ?  (The  oxen  stood  together  and  shook 
their  horns  at  the  lion.) 

Do  not  hamper  with  such  questions  the  work  of 
any  child  who  is  able  to  write  good  sentences  with- 


92  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

out  them.     They  are  but   crutches,  to    be  leaned 
upon  only  as  a  last  resort. 

Each  child's  paper  is  to  be  criticized  for  the  fol- 
lowing : 

i.   The  completeness  and  clearness  of  the  story. 

2.  The  use  of  capitals  and  period. 

3.  The  spelling. 

4.  The  appearance  of  the  paper,  —  arrangement,  neatness, 
penmanship. 

Criticizing — let  it  always  be  remembered — means 
commending,  when  that  is  possible,  quite  as  much 
as  it  means  censuring,  or  pointing  out  faults. 

While  the  points  for  criticism,  as  given  above, 
may,  at  first  thought,  seem  rather  numerous  and 
formidable,  a  moment's  reflection  will  show  you  that 
they  are  merely  the  result  of  the  briefest  analysis  of 
the  essentials  in  which  the  goodness  or  the  poorness 
of  the  child's  work  consists.  It  may  seem  simpler 
to  say  to  the  child,  "  Good,"  or,  "  Poor ;  try  to  do 
better  next  time."  But  such  criticism  is  simple 
only  for  the  teacher ;  for  the  child,  it  is  merely  the 
source  of  unintelligent  pleasure  or  discouragement. 
It  is  not  enlightening  ;  it  does  not  point  the  way  to 
definite  and  sure  improvement. 

A  paper  may  be  neat  in  appearance,  correct  in 
spelling,  and  in  the  use  of  capitals  and  period,  but 
lacking  in  completeness  or  clearness  of  statement. 
This  the  writer,  or  any  other  child,  may  be  made  to 
see  by  questioning,  or  by  comparing  the  paper  with 


WRITING   THE   STORY  93 

another  that  is  complete  and  clear.  So  may  the 
quality  of  any  paper,  in  the  other  respects,  be  brought 
out  clearly  to  every  child,  by  questioning  and  by 
comparison.  Of  course,  the  comparison  of  papers 
must  be  made  tactfully. 

It  is  true  that  such  definite,  detailed  criticism 
means  much  painstaking  work  for  the  teacher.  It 
is  easier  to  gather  up  the  results  of  the  pupils'  efforts, 
glance  them  over,  make  a  few  general  comments  on 
the  papers  as  a  whole,  and  drop  them  all  quietly 
into  the  wastebasket ;  and  this  process  may  be 
repeated,  day  after  day,  with  little  exertion  or  thought 
on  the  teacher's  part.  But  this  is  not  teaching 
children  to  think  or  to  write ;  it  is  not  teaching 
them  to  take  any  intelligent  satisfaction  or  interest 
in  their  work. 

Progress  in  language  maybe  just  as  sure  and  almost 
as  definitely  noticeable  as  progress  in  learning  the 
multiplication  table.  But  such  progress  depends 
upon  the  intelligent  doing  of  definite  things  every 
day,  in  every  exercise ;  upon  the  intelligent  and 
definite  criticism  of  the  pupils'  definite  efforts ;  and 
upon  definite,  intelligent  attempts  to  do  definite 
things  better  at  each  trial.  The  pupil  must  be  held 
up  to  his  best  all  the  time  ;  he  must  be  made  to  apply 
everything  that  he  has  learned,  and  to  apply  it  not 
merely  in  the  lesson  in  which  he  has  learned  it,  but 
whenever  there  is  occasion.  Thus  does  the  child 
become    helpfully   critical  of    his    own   work.     He 


94  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

takes  intelligent  delight  in    the   realization    of   his 
growing  powers. 

Each  pupil  should  correct  his  own  work,  if  possible 
at  once.     (See  directions,  p.  49.) 

Supplementary  Work 

In  most  classes  it  will  be  advisable  soon  to  have 
another  short  story  reproduced  in  writing.  For 
this  reproduction  the  following  story  may  be  used. 
Let  this  be  written  upon  the  board,  studied  by  the 
children  under  the  teacher's  direction,  and  finally 
written  and  criticized  as  has  just  been  directed. 

The  First  Fountain 

Flora  was  a  little  girl  who  liked  to  play  in  the  water.  One  day 
she  was  wading  in  a  little  stream.  She  played  until  she  grew 
tired.  Then  she  tried  to  step  out  on  the  bank.  But  her  feet 
were  held  fast.  Her  hair  became  little  streams  of  water.  A  fairy 
had  turned  her  into  a  fountain. 

IV  (76).     The  Use  of  Capitals  in  Writing  the  Names 
of  Persons 

The  one  new  point  in  this  lesson  is  the  writing  of 
personal  names  with  capitals ;  the  rest  is  a  review  of 
the  use  of  capitals  in  titles  and  at  the  beginning 
of  sentences,  and  the  use  of  the  period  at  the  end 
of  statements.  See  that  the  pupils  study  the  lesson 
through  carefully  as  directed ;  test  them  upon  this 
in  oral  recitation. 

Then    tell    them    about  the  game  of  names  de- 


THE   GAME  OF   NAMES  95 

scribed  and  to  be  played  in  the  next  lesson.  As  a 
preparation  for  this,  have  every  child  write  his  name 
on  the  blackboard ;  let  only  full  names  be  written, 
not  initials.  Have  the  names  spelled  from  the 
board  by  the  children,  each  child  spelling  the  name 
of  some  other  child.  Call  attention  to  the  capital 
beginning  every  name,  and  insist  that  the  child 
spelling  say  "  capital "  before  naming  the  first  letter 
of  a  name. 

Leave  the  children's  names  on  the  board  until 
the  next  lesson,  or  better,  rewrite  them  yourself  in 
columns  as  they  are  spelled  from  the  board  by  the 
children.  Let  the  pupils  understand  that  those 
who  learn  how  to  spell  the  largest  number  of  names 
correctly  before  the  next  lesson,  and  who  are  careful 
about  the  capitals,  will  be  most  successful  in  the 
game. 

V  (77).     The  Game  of  Names 

The  game  of  names  is  played  as  follows : 

Harry  Brown  :  Mary  Smith,  spell  my  name. 

Mary  Smith :  Harry  Brown,  capital-H-a-r-r-y,  capital- B-r-o-w-n. 
John  Pope,  spell  my  name. 

John  Pope:  Mary  Smith,  capital-M-a-r-y,  s-m-i-t-h. 

Mary  Smith  :  No,  that  is  not  the  way  to  spell  my  name. 
Frank  Ball,  spell  my  name. 

Frank  Ball:  Mary  Smith,  capital-M-a-r-y,  capital-S-m-i-t-h. 
Charles  Marsh,  spell  my  name. 

And  so  the  game  continues  as  long  as  desirable. 
The  one  who  makes  a  mistake  loses  his  chance  to 


96  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

call  upon  another.  If  the  one  whose  name  is  mis- 
spelled does  not  notice  the  mistake  at  once,  and 
calls  upon  some  one  else  to  spell  his  name,  any  other 
child  may  note  the  mistake,  by  saying,  "  No,  that  is 

not  the  way  to  spell 's  name,"  and  spell 

the  name  correctly.  Then  the  child  making  the 
correction  may  call  on  another  to  spell  his  name. 

VI  (yy).     Writing  Names 

Have  pupils  correct  mistakes  as  part  of  the  exer- 
cise, giving  reason  for  correction. 

The  second  part  of  the  exercise,  writing  the 
names  of  as  many  classmates  as  possible,  may  be 
turned  into  a  game.  Allow  a  certain  number  of 
minutes  for  this,  say  ten.  The  one  that  writes  the 
largest  number  of  names  correctly  wins ;  incorrectly 
written  names  are  not  counted. 

Supplementary  "Work 

i.    Pupils  may  write  names  from  dictation. 

2.  They  may  write  a  certain  number  of  names, 
either  of  people  they  know,  or  names  that  they 
may  invent. 

VII  (77).     Copying 

Fordirectionsand  suggestions  regarding  the  super- 
vision of  an  exercise  in  copying  and  the  correction 
of  errors,  see  p.  48,  VII.  The  teacher  must  work 
with  the  children  throughout  this  exercise. 


THE   USE  OF   TWO,   TOO,  AND    TO  97 

VIII  (78).  Dictation 
Give  pupils  not  more  than  two  minutes  to  look 
carefully  at  and  to  read  to  themselves  the  story, 
Kindness  (p.  76),  in  preparation  for  writing  it  from 
dictation.  That  they  may  have  prominently  in  mind 
the  principal  things  on  account  of  which  the  dicta- 
tion is  given,  ask  the  following  questions : 

Where  are  capital  letters  used  in  titles? 
With  what  kind  of  letter  must  every  sentence  begin? 
With  what  mark  must  every  statement  end? 
With  what  kind  of  letter  must  every  name  of  a  person  begin? 
How  are  these  words  spelled  (giving  those  that  you  think  may 
cause  trouble)  ? 

Dictate  complete  sentences.  Dictate  slowly  and 
distinctly.  Secure  perfect  attention  and  expect 
pupils  to  get  the  sentence  from  a  single  dictation. 
Have  pupils  repeat  the  sentence  distinctly,  in  con- 
cert, before  beginning  to  write.  Have  errors  cor- 
rected as  part  of  the  exercise.  For  further  direc- 
tions and  suggestions  about  dictation  exercises  and 
the  correction  of  errors,  see  pp.  48-50. 

IX  (78).     The  Use  of  Two,  Too,  and  To  ' 

Study  this  lesson  with  the  children.  It  is  easy 
for  them  to  learn  when  to  use  two,  the  word  mean- 
ing a  number. 

The  use  of  too  is  not  so  easy  to  express.  Chil- 
dren  will   learn   it  better  from  example  than  from 


98  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

rule.  Have  them  study  carefully  the  sentences 
given  in  their  book  in  which  too  is  used.  Make 
for  them  other  similar  sentences,  orally,  and  have 
them  give  the  spelling  of  too. 

The  use  of  to  is  still  more  difficult  to  explain, 
and  no  explanation  should  be  attempted.  The 
best  practical  rule  for  the  correct  use  of  these 
troublesome  little  words  that  can  be  impressed 
upon  the  children  is  that  they  should  use  to  only 
when  two  or  too  will  not  do.  Two  is  almost  never, 
too,  seldom,  mistakenly  used;  the  tendency  is  to  use 
to  indiscriminately.  Insist  that  the  children  never 
use  to  until  they  are  sure  that  it  is  not  two,  nor  too, 
that  they  need. 

Before  the  children  copy  the  sentences,  filling 
the  blanks,  dictate  to  them  many  sentences  in 
which  to,  too,  and  two  are  used.  Have  the  pupils 
decide  which  word  is  used  and  spell  it  orally. 
Teach  them  to  think  of  the  sentences  given  in 
their  books  as  types  with  which  they  can  compare 
other  sentences  when  in  doubt.  For  instance, 
perhaps  you  have  given  the  sentence,  "  You  have 
torn  your  book ;  it  is  too  bad."  A  child  may  spell 
the  word  too,  t-o.  Let  him  recall  the  sentences  in 
his  book  :  "  The  chair  is  too  high  ;  "  "I  go  to  school 
to  learn."  Which  too  is  used  in  too  bad?  Is  it 
like  too  high,  or  like  to  school  or  to  learn  ? 

Have  errors  in  copying  the  sentences  and  filling 
the  blanks  corrected  as  part  of   the  exercise.     As 


DICTATION  99 

reasons  for  the  correction  may  be  given  in  the  case 
of  two  that  it  means  the  number  two;  in  the  case  of 
too,  that  it  is  like  too  big,  and  too  high,  or  like  you, 
too;  and  in  the  possible  case  of  to  that  it  is  neither 
too  nor  two. 

Supplementary  "Work 

i.  Write  on  the  board  several  connected  sen- 
tences with  blanks  for  the  words  to,  too,  and  two. 
Let  pupils  copy  and  fill  blanks.  Do  not  give  puz- 
zling sentences. 

2.  Give  pupils  a  subject,  as  The  Cat  and  Her 
Kittejis,  and  let  pupils  write  three  or  more  con- 
nected sentences  on  that  subject,  using  the  words 
to,  too,  and  two. 

Observe  strictly  what  has  been  said  about  sup- 
plementary work  (p.  70). 

X  (80).     Dictation  to  Drill  and  Test  the  Use  of  Two, 
Too,  To,  Their,  and  There 

In  preparation  for  the  dictation  of  the  sentences 
below,  which  are  to  be  written,  give  several  sentences 
using  the  words  to,  too,  two,  there,  and  their,  and 
have  pupils  spell  orally  the  word  that  is  used. 

Two  little  kittens  were  lost. 

Their  mother  had  told  them  to  stay  at  home. 

They  were  too  little  to  go  out  alone. 

Their  mother  found  them  over  there  in  the  woods. 

As  part  of  the  exercise,  have  pupils  correct  their 
papers,  telling  why  the  correct  form  is  to  be  used. 


ioo  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

Supplementary  Work 

i.  Write  the  words  two,  to,  too,  there,  their,  on 
the  board  in  a  column,  in  any  order.  Go  around 
the  class  rapidly,  in  order,  calling  on  each  child  to 
give  a  sentence  in  which  one  of  the  above  words  is 
used.  When  he  gives  his  sentence,  he  must  spell 
the  word  he  has  used,  and  tell  why  that  word  is 
used.     For  example : 

Child :  I  saw  two  robins  in  a  tree.  Two,  t-w-o ;  because  this, 
word  means  the  number  two. 

2.  The  above  exercise  may  be  turned  into  an 
interesting  game  by  dividing  the  class  into  two 
groups,  as  in  a  spelling  match.  Let  the  sentences 
be  given  in  order  by  the  children,  alternating  from 
side  to  side.  If  a  child  is  unable  to  give  a  sentence 
when  his  turn  comes,  or  if  he  makes  a  mistake  in 
the  spelling  of  a  word,  or  in  the  reason  for  its  use, 
the  child  whose  turn  it  is  on  the  opposing  side  may 
give  a  sentence,  or  make  the  correction.  If  he  is 
successful,  the  leader  of  his  side  draws  one  child 
from  the  losing  side. 

3.  One  child  may  give  a  sentence  using  one  of 
the  words,  two,  to,  too,  their,  or  there.  Another  child 
may  spell  the  word  used,  and  give  the  reason  for  his 
spelling.  This  exercise  may  be  varied  in  several 
ways.  It  may  go  around  the  class  in  regular  order. 
Or  the  child  giving  a  sentence  may  call  upon  any 
other  child  to  spell  the  word  and  give  the  reason  for 


ENLARGING   A   STORY  FOR   DR^JVTATlZiN^       idi 

it ;  if  he  does  this  correctly,  he  may  give  a  sentence 
to  any  other  child,  and  so  on.  Whenever  a  child 
makes  a  mistake,  he  loses  his  opportunity  to  give  a 
sentence ;  the  one  who  corrects  him  gives  a  sen- 
tence. Or  the  class  may  be  divided  into  two  groups 
as  in  (2),  introducing  competition  between  the  two 
sides. 

In  all  the  above  exercises,  encourage  the  children 
to  give  connected  sentences ;  if  they  are  able  to  do 
it,  this  may  be  a  requirement.     For  example : 

First  Child :  I  saw  two  kittens. 

Second  Child :  They  were  out  there  under  the  tree. 

Third  Child:  I  tried  to  catch  them. 

Fourth  Child :  They  were  too  spry  for  me. 

Fifth  Child :  They  ran  away  to  their  mother. 

XI  (80).  Enlarging  a  Story  for  Dramatizing;  Pupils' 
Preparatory  Study 

Start  the  pupils  in  the  study  of  the  story,  The 
First  Buttercups,  preparatory  to  its  dramatization. 
Read  the  story  with  them.  Talk  with  them  about  the 
changes  that  must  be  made  in  order  to  prepare  the 
story  for  dramatizing.  Help  them  to  answer  some 
of  the  first  questions,  to  make  sure  that  they  under- 
stand them  and  can  answer  them.  Let  them  study 
through  the  whole  lesson,  with  such  individual  help 
as  they  may  require.  Do  not  give  them  too  much 
help ;  this  robs  them  of  the  opportunity  of  using 
their  own  imaginations. 


102  TMQEiER'S  MANUAL 

XII  (82).    Enlarging  a  Story  for  Dramatizing; 
Class  Exercise 

Have  pupils  answer  the  questions  that  they  studied 
for  their  last  lesson.  Keep  before  them  the  idea 
that  their  answers  must  show  just  what  the  actors,  in 
playing  the  story,  might  do  and  say. 

In  preparation  for  this  exercise,  you  should  pre- 
pare yourself  just  as  carefully  as  you  expect  the 
pupils  to  prepare  themselves.  Following  the  ques- 
tions in  their  book,  you  should  think  out  carefully 
the  whole  story,  in  all  its  details,  as  it  might  work 
out.  Then  you  should  keep  this  story  in  your 
mind  —  be  sure  to  keep  it  in  your  mind,  do  not  im- 
pose it  on  the  children  —  as  a  guide  for  yourself  in 
bringing  out  from  the  children  a  complete,  clear,  and 
connected  narrative. 

Here  is  one  way  in  which  the  story  was  worked 
out  by  one  class,  following  the  questions  given  in 
the  pupils'  book.  The  numbers  in  parenthesis  cor- 
respond to  the  numbers  opposite  the  questions  in  the 
pupils'  book. 

A  man  set  out  to  find  the  end  of  the  rainbow. 

(1)  He  carried  a  spade  over  his  shoulder.  (2,  3,  4)  After 
walking  a  long  way  he  cried,  "  Here  is  the  end  of  the  rainbow  at 
last  !  I  have  heard  that  there  is  a  pot  of  gold  buried  in  the  earth 
here.     I  will  dig  and  dig  until  I  get  it." 

(5)  After  digging  for  some  time  he  found  the  gold.  He 
lifted  it  out,  saying,  "  What  a  lot  of  gold  !  What  shall  I  do  with 
it?     I  will  carry  it  into  the  woods  and  bury  it." 

(6,  7,  8)    He  put  the  gold  into  a  bag  and  started  for  the  woods, 


ENLARGING  A   STORY  FOR  DRAMATIZING       103 

saying  to  himself,  "  How  rich  I  am  !  I  will  keep  every  bit  of  this 
gold  for  myself.     Nobody  shall  have  one  piece  of  it." 

(g)  Little  did  the  selfish  man  know  that  there  was  a  hole  in 
his  bag  !  As  he  hurried  across  the  fields  on  the  way  to  the  woods, 
bit  by  bit  the  gold  dropped  out  until  he  had  no  gold  left. 

(10,  11,  12)  A  little  fairy  was  watching  the  man.  She  said, 
"  What  a  pity  such  a  selfish  man  should  have  all  that  gold.  I  am 
sure  he  will  do  no  good  with  it." 

(13,  14)  When  she  saw  the  gold  fall,  she  said,  "There,  he  has  lost 
his  gold  and  I  am  glad.  I  will  change  the  gold  into  bright  golden 
flowers.     They  will  make  every  one  who  looks  on  them  glad." 

(15)  So  saying,  the  little  fairy  flew  from  gold  piece  to  gold 
piece  touching  each  with  her  wand.  At  the  touch  of  the  wand, 
every  gold  piece  turned  into  a  golden  flower. 

(16)  "There,"  said  the  little  fairy  as  she  flew  away,  "I 
have  made  those  dear  flowers  for  the  little  children." 

(17)  When  the  man  opened  his  bag  and  found  no  gold,  he 
cried,  "  Why,  where  is  all  my  gold  ?  "  On  looking  more  closely 
he  saw  the  hole. 

(18)  "Ah,  now  I  know,"  he  said.  "It  has  dropped  through 
this  hole.     I  will  go  back  and  look  for  it." 

(19)  Back  to  the  field  hurried  the  man.  He  searched  and 
searched,  but  not  a  piece  of  his  gold  did  he  ever  find. 

Just  as  he  was  leaving  the  field  the  little  fairy  flew  to  him. 

(20,  21)  "  See  these  bright  flowers,"  she  said,  pointing  to  the 
golden  flowers.  "  Do  you  know  how  they  came  to  be  here  ? 
They  were  your  gold  pieces.  I  saw  you  drop  them  and  I  changed 
them  into  buttercups  for  the  children,  because  I  wanted  the  gold 
to  make  ever  so  many  people  happy.  You  were  selfish.  You 
would  give  none  to  others." 

The  man  looked  at  the  fairy  for  a  moment,  then  at  the  golden 
buttercups. 

(22)  At  last  he  turned  slowly  away,  saying  to  himself,  "The 
flowers  are  very  bright  and  beautiful.  They  will  make  the 
children  happy.     I  think  the  fairy  is  right." 


104  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

After  the  children  have  answered  the  questions, 
connect  their  answers  into  a  complete  story.  Tell 
them  this  story  from  beginning  to  end.  Let  this 
be  the  children's  story,  as  nearly  as  may  be,  not  the 
story  that  you  worked  out  for  yourself,  and  certainly 
not  the  story  that  is  here  given  merely  for  illustration. 

XIII  (82).     Dramatizing  the  Story,  "The  First 
Buttercups  " 

If  the  dramatizing  up  to  this  time  has  been  car-, 
ried  out  as  directed,  if  the  children  have  been  allowed 
to  take  the  initiative,  they  should  have  gained  con- 
siderable confidence  and  skill  in  planning  and  acting 
out  a  simple  story,  like  this  one  of  the  first  buttercups. 
Tell  them  the  story  again,  without  question  or  com- 
ment, as  it  was  worked  out  at  the  last  lesson.  Then 
let  them  dramatize  it.  Let  them  choose  the  ones  to 
take  part;  then  let  the  chosen  ones  carry  it  out  as 
they  think  it  should  be  done.  Show  your  confidence 
in  the  little  actors ;  give  only  help  enough  to  prevent 
a  complete  failure,  if  this  should  seem  imminent. 

When  the  first  dramatization  is  completed,  let 
the  children  discuss  the  merits  of  it,  suggesting 
definitely  wherein  it  should  be  improved.  Then 
let  them  choose  a  new  set  of  actors  to  reenact  the 
story  with  the  improvements  suggested.  It  may  be 
thus  repeated  as  many  times  as  seem  desirable,  but 
always  with  certain  definite  ideas  for  improvement. 
It  must  not  become  perfunctory  and  mechanical. 


SUPPLEMENTARY   WORK  105 

Supplementary  Work 

The  story  may  be  told  orally  by  several  children. 
Do  not  insist  that  it  be  told  as  you  told  it,  or  as  it 
was  played ;  encourage  variation ;  commend  orig- 
inality ;  it  is  only  essential  that  the  chief  events  of 
the  story  be  in  substantial  agreement  with  those  of 
the  original,  and  that  it  be  clear,  connected,  and 
complete. 

XIV  (82).     Picture  Stories 

(Puppy-dog  pictures,  p.  83) 

After  the  children  have  studied  the  lesson  in 
their  books,  have  the  story  told  in  three  parts. 

Part  I.     Saving  the  Puppy's  Life  (upper  picture). 

Part  II.     Playmates  (between  the  pictures). 

This  part  may  be  told  by  the  teacher  if  pupils 
have  not  worked  it  out  well.  Tell  how  the  boy  and 
the  dog  became  fast  friends,  playing  and  growing 
up  together.  After  two  or  three  years  the  puppy 
was  a  full-grown  dog,  while  the  boy  was  still  small. 

Part  III.  Saving  the  Boy's  Life  (lower  pic- 
ture). 

Supplementary  Work 

i.  In  connection  with  this  story  tell  the  children 
the  fables,  The  Lion  and  the  Mouse,  and  The 
Dove  and  the  Ant.  Have  them  compare  the  three 
stories,  noting  what  is  common  to  them  all.  Be 
sure  to  have  the  fact  clearly  brought  out  that  the  boy 
saved  the  puppy's  life,  the  dove  the  ant's  life,  and 


106  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

the  lion  the  mouse's  life,  without  thought  of  any  ser- 
vice in  return.  Each  was  prompted  solely  by  kind- 
ness toward  a  helpless  and  suffering  creature.  The 
fables  will  serve  as  models  of  form  for  the  children 
which  they  will  tend  to  follow,  even  unconsciously. 
2.    Tell  the  story  of  Androclus  and  the  Lion. 

XV  (86).     More  Picture  Stories 

(Girl  with  kitten,  p.  87) 

This,  like  the  preceding  picture,  should  develop 
a  story  that  will  be  an  excellent  lesson  on  kindness 
to  animals. 

After  the  children  have  studied  the  lesson  a  few 
minutes  by  themselves,  help  them  to  develop  a  con- 
nected, complete  story.  Perhaps  it  will  follow  an 
outline  something  like  this: 

Little  girl  sent  to  grocer's  by  her  mother ;  two  little  children 
stand  on  steps  crying ;  coming  nearer,  the  girl  sees  a  poor,  fright- 
ened kitten  crouching  in  a  corner,  while  a  big  boy  is  about  to 
throw  a  stone  at  it ;  girl  rushes  in  and  rescues  the  kitten  ;  tells  the 
boy  only  a  coward  would  do  such  a  thing  ;  boy  feels  ashamed  and 
promises  never  again  to  be  so  cruel  to  a  helpless  animal ;  girl 
gives  kitten  up  to  children  to  whom  it  belongs  —  or  takes  it  home 
and  cares  for  it  —  or  the  boy  takes  it  and  is  kind  to  it. 

Supplementary  Work 

i.  The  story  may  be  continued  like  the  story  of 
the  rescued  puppy.  The  kitten  may  save  the  girl's 
—  or  the  boy's  —  life  by  waking  her  when  the 
house  is  on  fire. 


TELLING  A   STORY   FROM   A  POEM  107 

2.  The  boy  may  have  a  dream.  He  dreams  he 
is  a  kitten  and  a  big  boy  is  stoning  him.  How 
does  he  feel  ?  When  he  wakes,  what  does  he  re- 
solve to  do  ? 

3.  The  story  may  be  dramatized. 

XVI  (86).     Telling  True  Stories 

Talk  with  the  children  about  different  ways  of 
repaying  kindness,  ways  that  they  have  seen  or  that 
they  can  think  of.  If  children  have  had  little  ex- 
perience of  gratitude,  let  them  prepare  for  this  exer- 
cise to  be  taken  up  later  —  after  a  week  or  two;  let 
them  seek  and  embrace  opportunities  to  show  grat- 
itude to  parents,  teachers,  classmates,  friends. 

Obviously,  the  ethical  value  of  exercises  of  this 
kind,  made  practical,  is  not  less  than  their  language 
value. 

XVII  (88).      Studying  a  Poem 

Study  the  poem,  The  First  Bluebell,  with  the 
children.  First,  read  it  to  them.  Then  have  it 
read  aloud -by  one  or  more  of  the  best  readers. 

Note  that  the  questions  are  arranged  in  groups, 
each  group  referring  to  a  stanza  of  the  poem.  See 
that  the  pupils  observe  this;  it  will  help  them  in 
their  efforts  to  answer  the  questions. 

XVIII  (90).     Telling  a  Story  from  a  Poem 

After  the  pupils  have  had  a  few  minutes — five 
to  eight  should   be  enough  —  to   study   the   poem, 


108  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

The  First  Bluebell,  and  to  think  out  the  story  in  it 
in  their  own  words,  have  several  children  tell  it. 
In  the  discussion  of  each  child's  story,  by  yourself 
and  the  other  children,  be  sure  that  the  comments 
are  definite,  so  that  every  one  may  understand  both 
the  good  and  the  weak  points  of  the  stories. 


CHAPTER   FIVE 

Make  a  preliminary  study  of  this  chapter  to  see 
how  it  carries  on,  enlarges,  develops,  all  the  funda- 
mental ideas  of  preceding  chapters  ;  how  it  provides 
for  drill  in  all  forms  already  taken  up ;  how  it  sus- 
tains and  stimulates  interest  and  effort  through 
varied  exercises.     The  new  work  is  as  follows : 

1.  Quotations  and  quotation  marks :  studying  their  use, 
copying,  writing  from  dictation,  writing  original  quotations. 

2.  The  use  of  the  comma  to  separate  a  quotation  from 
the  rest  of  the  sentence. 

3.  Writing  an  original  ending  for  an  unfinished  story. 

4.  More  definite  words  to  be  used  in  place  of  said, 

I  (91).     Reading 

Read  with  the  children  the  story,  The  Little 
White  Flower.  After  reading  it  through  for  the 
story,  assign  parts,  and  have  it  read  in  dialogue 
form.  -Have  nothing  perfunctory  about  this  exer- 
cise ;  get  every  child  into  the  spirit  of  it.  The 
thought  and  the  vocabulary  are  so  easy  and  so 
familiar  that  every  child  should  be  able  to  take  any 
one  of  the  parts  and  to  put  into  it  something  of  origi- 
nality, of  individuality  in  conception  and  rendering. 

109 


no  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

Read  again  carefully  the  suggestions  given  in 
Chapter  Three  (p.  65)  for  the  reading  of  the  story, 
Mabel  and  the  Fairy  Folk.  See  that  the  discussion, 
criticism,  and  rereading  of  the  various  parts  are 
carried  out  here  as  there  suggested. 

II  (95).     Studying  the  Story,  "the  Little  White 
Flower  " 

The  children  are  to  study  this  lesson  by  them-, 
selves.  This  does  not  mean  that  they  will  need  no 
attention  from  the  teacher,  or  merely  enough  to  see 
that  they  are  quiet  and  apparently  busy.  On  the 
contrary,  they  will  need  the  teacher's  closest  atten- 
tion and  keenest  insight.  They  are  learning  how 
to  study ;  they  are  forming  the  habit  of  intelligent 
study ;  at  least,  such  is  the  purpose  of  this  exercise. 
If  it  is  not  serving  this  purpose,  it  is  wasting  the 
children's  time,  and  worse  than  wasting  it. 

To  make  the  exercise  fully  successful  you  must 
see  that  the  children  clearly  understand  the  direc- 
tions of  their  book,  that  they  are  answering  to  them- 
selves intelligently  the  questions  that  their  book 
asks  them.  To  do  this,  go  about  from  pupil  to 
pupil  —  especially  among  the  poorer  pupil-s  —and 
speak  with  them  individually;  a  hint,  a  question,  or 
a  suggestion,  will  help  to  reveal  to  you  just  what  a 
child  is  doing,  and  to  show  him  what  he  ought  to 
do. 

In  their  book,  the  pupils  are  told  that  they  may 


CONVERSATION  AND   DRAMATIZING  in 

ask  the  teacher  to  help  them  with  any  question  that 
troubles  them.  If  you  are  not  getting  at  least  a  few 
requests  for  such  help,  there  is  probably  something 
wrong.      Find  out  what  it  is,  and  correct  it. 

Ill  (98).     Conversation  and  Dramatizing 
Conversation. 

In  this  exercise  the  pupils  are  to  be  called  upon 
to  show  the  results  of  their  study  of  the  story, 
The  Little  White  Flower.  The  questions  in 
their  book,  which  they  answered  to  themselves, 
should  be  asked,  yet  this  must  not  be  made  a  formal 
exercise  which  serves  merely  to  test  their  knowl- 
edge and  the  faithfulness  of  their  study.  Every  one, 
teacher  and  pupils,  should  feel  free  to  express  his 
ideas,  to  ask  questions,  for  the  purpose  of  develop- 
ing together  clear  and  full  conceptions  of  the  char- 
acters of  the  story,  to  bring  out  what  each  of  these 
characters  said  and  did,  and  just  how  he  said  it  and 
did  it. 

To  insure  this  freedom,  the  teacher  must  be  fully 
prepared  for  the  exercise.  She  should  know  the 
story  so  thoroughly,  she  should  know  so  well  the 
questions  that  the  pupils  have  studied  in  their  book, 
she  should  be  so  ready  with  questions  and  sugges- 
tions of  her  own,  that  she  will  need  no  book  before 
her,  that  she  will  have  no  time  to  use  a  book. 

Above  all  else,  the  children  must  be  given  oppor- 
tunity to  show  how  they  think  the  different  things 


112  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

in  the  story  should  be  done,  when  it  is  played,  and 
to  ask  to  have  different  things  shown,  as  they  were 
directed  in  the  latter  part  of  their  study  lesson. 
Every  child  should  take  part  in  this,  if  possible,  both 
by  representing  something  himself  and  by  calling 
for  the  representation  of  something.  The  teacher 
should  be  fully  prepared  to  supplement  the  pupils' 
efforts  and  requests.  Here  are  a  few  things  that 
should  be  shown,  some  of  which  the  children  may 
not  think  of. 

Show  how  little  Tom  stood  while  the  men  were  telling  of  the 
gifts  they  had  for  the  queen. 

Show  how  Tom  walked  away  from  the  market  place. 

Show  how  the  wind  fairies  circled  around  the  little  plant. 

Show  how  the  wind  fairies  rushed. 

Show  how  the  rain  fairies  pattered. 

Show  how  the  sunshine  fairies  glided. 

Show  how  the  little  bud  had  her  face  covered  at  first ;  how 
she  opened  one  little  petal ;  how  she  burst  into  full  bloom ;  and 
how  she  laughed  at  the  sun  fairies. 

Show  how  the  men  presented  their  gifts  to  the  queen;  and 
how  they  left  her. 

Dramatizing  the  story. 

Show  your  confidence  in-  your  pupils  by  allow- 
ing them  to  do  all  they  can  unaided.  Let  them 
decide  how  many  will  be  required  to  take  the 
parts,  and  let  them,  under  your  direction,  assign  the 
parts. 

After  the  story  has  been  played  once,  and  after 
the  performance  has  been  discussed,   and  definite 


QUOTATIONS  113 

suggestions  made  for  improvement,  another  set  of 
children  sufficient  to  take  all  the  parts  may  be  al- 
lowed to  leave  the  room,  assign  the  parts  among 
themselves,  return,  and  give  the  play  before  the 
teacher  and  the  remainder  of  the  class. 

Read  again  suggestions  for  an  exercise  in  conver- 
sation and  dramatizing  (pp.  11,  38,  67). 

IV  (99).     Oral  Reproduction 

In  the  oral  reproduction  of  the  story,  The  Little 
White  Flower,  follow  the  directions  given  for  oral 
reproduction  of  a  story  in  Chapter  Two  (p.  42). 

V  (99).     Quotations 

This  is  the  first  lesson  on  quotations.  This  sub- 
ject is  not  taken  up  thus  early  —  earlier  than  most 
teachers  or  textbooks  present  it  —  for  the  sake  of 
extending  the  endless  exercises  that  are  wont  to  be 
given  to  it  throughout  the  elementary  school  grades, 
and  too  often  without  satisfactory  results,  but  rather 
that  the  children  may  learn  the  use  of  quotations, 
and  fix  the  habit  of  writing  quotations  correctly, 
before  they  have  blundered  carelessly  into  the  habit 
of  writing  them  incorrectly.  Presented  simply  and 
clearly,  the  subject  is  not  difficult  for  third  grade 
children  to  understand.  And  if  these  children  are 
held  rigidly  from  the  first  to  writing  quotations 
always  correctly,  as  they  learn  how  to  write  them, 


H4  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

they  will  soon  fix  the  habit.  Then  it  will  be  quite 
unnecessary  to  waste  time  in  teaching  over  and 
over  again,  year  after  year,  the  proper  use  of  quota- 
tion marks. 

In  their  original  work,  pupils  use  direct  quotations. 
They  must  be  taught  now  how  to  write  them  cor- 
rectly ;  it  is  easier  to  teach  correct  form  at  the  out- 
set and  to  insist  upon  its  use  than  to  correct  errors 
later. 

In  studying  this  lesson  in  their  book  with  them, 
make  perfectly  sure  that  the  pupils  understand  from 
the  beginning  just  what  the  quotation  is,  not  by 
memorizing  the  definition,  but  by  distinguishing  in 
every  instance  exactly  what  the  concrete  quotation 
under  discussion  is,  and  who  says  the  words  of  which 
it  is  composed.  To  secure  this  perfect,  understand- 
ing, supplement,  if  necessary,  the  questions  in  the 
pupils'  book  with  questions  that  will  bring  the  most 
detailed  and  definite  answers  possible.  Your  ques- 
tions, at  first,  must  be  as  definite,  as  this : 

Is  any  one  speaking?     (Insist  on  the  answer  "  yes  "  or  "no.") 
Who  is  speaking? 
What  does  he  say  ? 
Put  your  fingers  around  what  he  says. 
What  do  we  call  those  words? 
What  marks  are  around  them? 
Point  to  those  marks  and  tell  their  name. 

What  mark  is  used  to  separate  the  quotation  from  the  rest  of 
the  sentence? 

Put  your  finger  on  the  comma. 


QUOTATIONS  115 

Find  the  comma  in  the  next  sentence. 

What  does  the  comma  do?  (Separates  the  quotation  from  the 
rest  of  the  sentence.)  • 

Read  the  quotation.  (This  may  be  by  class  or  by  individuals. 
Have  quotations  read  in  different  sentences  until  pupils  respond 
promptly,  read  the  quotation,  the  whole  quotation,  and  not  one 
word  more.) 

Read  the  rest  of  the  sentence.  (Give  this  command  after  the 
pupil,  or  pupils,  have  paused  long  enough  at  the  end  of  the  quota- 
tion to  make  it  evident  that  they  know  that  they  have  finished  it.) 

Have  pupils  go  to  the  board  and  make  quotation 
marks  and  commas. 

In  all  this  study  with  the  pupils,  work  fast. 
Questions  and  answers  must  be  clear,  rapid,  spirited, 
definite,  to  the  point.  Children  must  not  be  given 
time  to  dawdle.  They  need  to  think,  but  no  long 
train  of  thought  is  needed  to  answer  any  question 
that  should  be  asked.  If  kept  awake  and  attentive 
by  a  sufficiently  rapid  fire  of  questions,  they  can 
answer  every  question  almost  instantly,  if  they  can 
answer  it  at  all.  Five  minutes'  spirited,  concen- 
trated work  will  accomplish  more  than  a  half  hour 
of  dawdling. 

Let  one  child  be  the  cat  and  another  the  owl. 
Let  these  children  read  the  quotations  in  the  story, 
nothing  more,  each  one  reading  his  part. 

The  form  for  studying  a  direct  quotation  given  in 
the  pupils'  book  (p.  100)  should  be  followed  exactly, 
in  this  and  in  future  lessons.  Experience  has  proved 
this  to  be  the  most  effective  way  of  teaching  children 


n6  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

to  write  quotations  correctly,  far  more  effective  than 
any  definition  and  rule;  at  the  same  time  the  study 
of  sentences  by  this  form  insures  a  clear  analysis 
and  sure  grasp  of  the  thought. 

Supplementary  Work 

Short  stories,  full  of  conversation,  may  be  written 
on  the  blackboard  and  studied  in  the  same  way  that 
we  have  taken  up  The  Cat  and  the  Owl.  The 
quotations  must  be  brief,  unbroken,  and  come  at  the 
beginning  of  the  sentences  in  which  they  occur. 

VI  (103).     Copying  to  Learn  the  Writing  of  Quotations 

Have  children  copy  the  story,  The  Cat  and  the 
Owl.  See  that  they  first  read  carefully  and  fully 
understand  the  directions  that  are  given  them  in 
their  book.  Then  see  that  they  work  according 
to  these  directions.  Pass  from  desk  to  desk,  and 
with  a  word  or  a  question  keep  every  one  up  to 
the  best  work  of  which  he  is  capable.  Thus  help 
the  children  to  avoid  most  of  the  errors  that  they 
might  otherwise  make,  and  have  them  correct  at 
once  those  that  do  occur.  As  the  attention  of  a 
child  is  called  to  an  error,  it  is  not  enough  that  he 
tell  what  he  should  have  written,  and  make  the  cor- 
rection ;  you  must  invariably  insist  that  he  tell  why 
the  correction  should  be  made.  For  instance,  you 
may  find  the  quotation  marks  omitted  at  the  end  of 


DICTATION  TO  TEACH  WRITING  OF  QUOTATIONS    117 

the  quotation  in  the  second  sentence.  When  the 
child  is  led  to  discover  this  omission,  he  must  speak 
in  substance  as  follows ;  the  exact  words  are  not 
essential :  "  There  should  be  quotation  marks  around 
Good  evening,  for  those  are  the  exact  words  spoken 
by  the  cat.  I  have  made  these  marks  only  at  the 
beginning  of  those  words;  I  must  make  them  at  the 
end,  too."  Then  the  child  puts  in  the  missing 
marks. 

It  is  unnecessary  and  unwise  to  run  the  risk  of 
confusing  the  child  by  telling  him  that  when  a 
quotation  is  put  in  italics,  which  was  not  in  italics 
in  the  original,  the  quotation  marks  may  be  omitted. 
Though  there  are  numerous  instances  of  this  in  the 
pupils'  book,  —  for  examples,  see  pages  199,  271,  and 
272,  —  the  pupil  in  his  writing  will  have  no  occasion 
to  depart  from  the  general  rule  that  quotations  must 
be  indicated  by  quotation  marks. 

The  directions  and  suggestions  already  given 
(p.  48)  for  a  copying  lesson  are  equally  applicable 
here. 


VII  (104).     Dictation  to  Teach  the  Writing  of 
Quotations 

Before  dictating  the  story,  The  Cat  a?id  the  Owl, 
have  children  open  their  books  to  the  story ;  ques- 
tion them  rapidly  for  two  or  three  minutes  about  the 
placing  of  the  quotation  marks  and  the  comma.     It 


n8  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

will  be  well  to  ask  questions  also  about  the  use  of 
capitals  in  the  title  and  at  the  beginning  of  sentences, 
and  the  use  of  the  period  at  the  end  of  the  state- 
ments. Everything  that  the  children  have  learned 
to  do,  they  must  consciously  remember  to  do  every 
time  there  is  occasion,  —  until  the  doing  of  it  be- 
comes a  habit,  automatic. 

Following  this  preliminary  questioning,  the  dicta- 
tion may  be  given  in  one  of  two  ways.  By  the  first 
way,  the  story  may  be  dictated  from  beginning  to  end, 
starting  with  the  title,  just  as  previous  dictations 
have  been  given ;  the  teacher  reads  a  full  sentence, 
pupils  repeat  it  distinctly  after  her,  then  write  it. 

A  second  way,  which  is  far  the  better  way  with 
most  classes,  is  as  follows.  After  dictating,  as  usual, 
the  title  and  the  first  sentence,  in  which  there  is  no 
quotation,  the  teacher  reads  the  second  sentence,  the 
pupils  repeat  it,  but  before  writing  it  there  is  inter- 
jected a  series  of  questions  and  answers  like  these: 

Teacher :    Is  any  one  speaking  ? 
Pupils  :   Yes,  the  cat  is  speaking. 
Teacher :   What  does  the  cat  say  ? 
Pupils :  Good  evening. 
Teacher :   What  are  those  words  called  ? 
Pupils :    A  quotation. 

Teacher :   What  must  you  put  around  those  words  ? 
Pupils :    Quotation  marks. 

Teacher :  How  will  you  separate  the  quotation  from  the  rest  of 
the  sentence  ? 

Pupils  :   With  a  comma. 


DICTATION  TO  TEACH  WRITING  OF  QUOTATIONS   119 

Teacher :   "Good  evening,"  said  the  cat. 
Pupils :  "Good  evening,"  said  the  cat. 
Teacher:   Write. 

The  same  process  of  dictation  and  questioning  is 
pursued  with  each  of  the  following  sentences.  The 
purpose  of  this  slow  and  painstaking  work  —  if 
questions  and  answers  are  sharp  and  rapid  it  will 
not  be  monotonous  —  is  to  secure  from  every  pupil 
a  consciously  correct  performance,  to  make  certain 
that  these  first  exercises  shall  trace  in  every  pupil's 
mind  and  muscle  the  paths  of  right  habits.  This  is 
mainly  a  teaching  and  learning,  not  a  testing  exer- 
cise. Testing  has  its  appropriate  place  after,  not 
before,  something  has  been  taught  and  learned. 

Obviously,  a  compromise  between  these  two  plans 
of  dictation  may  be  readily  made ;  the  questioning 
on  the  quotation  may  be  taken  up  in  connection 
with  only  a  part  of  the  sentences,  never  omitting  it 
with  the  first  one  containing  a  quotation.  Probably 
in  classes  composed  mainly  of  bright,  quick  chil- 
dren, such  a  compromise  wall  be  found  desirable. 

When  all,  or  a  considerable  number,  of  the  quota- 
tion sentences  are  subjected  to  this  close  question- 
ing, it  will  be  impossible  to  complete  the  exercise  in 
a  fifteen  or  twenty  minute  period.  Only  so  much 
should  be  dictated  as  can  be  written  and  corrected 
within  the  time  allotted  for  the  exercise.  Preserve 
the  papers,  pass  them  out  and  finish  the  exercise  at 
the  next  lesson. 


120  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

The  correction  of  the  pupil's  efforts,  and  the 
method  of  securing  it,  are  not  less  important  than 
the  dictation  and  the  method  of  conducting  it.  In 
the  dictation,  the  aim  was  to  secure  a  correct  per- 
formance, to  avoid  errors  ;  in  the  correction  of  such 
errors  as  have  been  made  —  the  more  painstaking 
the  dictation,  the  fewer  these  will  be  —  the  aim 
must  be  to  secure  their  correction  in  a  way  that  will 
prevent  the  repetition  of  the  errors.  Thus  their 
errors  are  used  to  teach  pupils  correct  habits.  So 
important  is  this  matter,  we  give  in  some  detail  a 
method  of  treating  errors  effectively. 

Suppose  a  pupil  has  omitted  quotation  marks ; 
ask,  and  have  him  answer  correctly,  questions  like 
these :  Is  any  one  speaking  ?  Who  ?  What  does 
he  say  ?  I  cannot  tell  that  any  one  is  speaking  by 
looking  at  your  paper.  How  should  you  have 
shown  that  some  one  is  speaking?  When  the  pupil 
answers  that  he  should  have  used  quotation  marks, 
ask,  "  Where  should  you  have  placed  them  ?  "  Do 
not  accept  the  answer,  "In  front  of  good  and  after 
evening."  Insist  on  the  answer,  "  Around  good 
evening."  Then  ask,  "  Why  ? "  and  require  the 
answer,  "  Because  those  are  the  exact  words  of  the 
owl  (or  cat). " 

If  a  comma  has  been  omitted,  ask,  and  have 
answered,  these  questions:  What  is  the  quotation? 
What  is  the  rest  of  the  sentence  ?  How  should  the 
quotation  be  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  sen- 


DICTATION  TO  TEACH  WRITING  OF  QUOTATIONS   121 

tence  ?  The  answer  to  the  last  question,  "By  a 
comma,"  is  perfectly  correct  in  this  place.  Do  not 
be  troubled  —  and  do  not  trouble  your  pupils  — 
with  the  fact  that  there  are  other  ways  of  setting  off 
quotations ;  these  will  be  taken  up  and  taught  in  due 
time. 

If  a  pupil  has  misplaced  quotation  marks  or 
comma,  so  that  they  inclose  or  separate  a  part  of 
the  quotation  or  more  than  the  quotation,  go  back 
to  the  first  questions,  and  ask:  Is  any  one  speak- 
ing? What  does  he  say?  Is  that  all  he  says 
(in  case  only  part  of  the  quotation  has  been  inclosed)  ? 
Does  he  say  all  that  (in  case  more  than  the  quo- 
tation has  been  inclosed  or  separated  from  the  rest 
of  the  sentence)?  Just  what  should  be  inclosed  in 
quotation  marks?  (Answer:  "The  exact  words 
of  the  person  speaking;  every  one  of  those  words; 
and  not  another  word.")  Of  course,  should  a  pupil's 
answers  to  the  first  two  questions  above  be  correct, 
he  will  have  only  to  make  his  paper  agree  with  his 
answers,  after  giving  reasons  for  the  corrections  to 
be  made. 

The  repetition,  over  and  over  again  as  occasion 
requires,  of  all  these  little  definite  and  direct  ques- 
tions, the  repetition  of  definite  and  direct  answers 
to  them,  is  not  vain;  it  is  fundamental  to  sure  suc- 
cess. The  value  of  this  questioning  process,  which 
is  entirely  within  the  range  of  the  child's  thought,  is 
not  limited  to  the  development  of  correct  habits  of 


122  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

mere  form  in  writing;  it  is  affording  the  child  the 
best  possible  training  in  the  analysis  of  thought  and 
expression.  The  effects  of  this  will  surely  tell  later 
in  his  own  original  writing,  even  in  grammatical 
analysis. 

Do  not  be  troubled  lest  all  the  time  required  for 
this  painstaking  work  deprive  your  pupils  of  suffi- 
cient "practice."  Better  one  page  written  and  cor- 
rected intelligently  by  the  child  than  whole  reams  of 
muddled  scribblings.  Constant  "practice"  of  what 
is  only  half  understood,  and  practice  carried  out 
only  half  as  well  as  the  pupil  knows  how  to  do,  and 
"  practice,"  ever  more  u  practice,"  subjected  to  no 
rigid  standards  which  the  pupil  must  himself  apply, 
is  the  fully  adequate  explanation  of  the  recurrence 
year  after  year,  through  the  grammar  and  even  the 
high  school,  of  the  same  primitive  errors. 


VIII  (104).    Finishing  a  Story  Orally 

Read  with  the  children  the  beginning  of  the  story, 
The  Helpers.  See  that  they  understand  what  is 
meant  by  the  blanks  at  the  end.  Give  them  a  few 
minutes  to  think  over  the  answers  that  they  will 
give  to  the  questions  that  follow  the  story.  Then 
work  out  with  them  the  completion  of  the  story, 
following  the  general  course  of  the  questions  in  their 
book,  with  which  you  should  be  perfectly  familiar. 

As  called  upon,  or  as  they  volunteer,  let  pupils 


FINISHING  A  STORY  ORALLY 


123 


tell  aloud  in  complete,  clear-cut  sentences,  what  the 
robin,  the  oak  tree,  and  the  rose  said.  For  example, 
"  I  fill  the  woods  with  music,"  said  the  robin. 
Demand  good  sense  in  every  sentence ;  the  robin, 
the  oak  tree,  and  the  rose  should  be  made  to  say 
only  such  things  as  each  one  really  does. 

Have  some  of  the  children's  original  sentences 
written  on  the  board.  Write  some  of  these  yourself, 
calling  upon  the  children  to  spell  the  words  and  to 
tell  you  what  marks  of  punctuation  to  use  and  where 
to  place  these.  Then  have  some  of  the  children 
write  their  sentences,  while  others  criticize  and  dic- 
tate necessary  corrections. 

After  the  children  have  answered  orally  all  the 
questions  in  their  book,  —  with  occasionally  an 
answer  written  on  the  board — and  have  thus  fur- 
nished material  for  the  completion  of  the  story,  read 
to  them  the  story  from  the  beginning  and  complete 
it  from  the  material  which  they  have  furnished. 
You  will  choose,  of  course,  from  the  best  sentences 
that  have  been  given.  The  continuation  and  ending 
of  the  story  might  be  something  like  this: 

"  I  fill  the  forest  with  music,"  said  the  robin. 

"  I  let  the  birds  build  their  nests  in  my  strong  branches,"  said 
the  oak  tree. 

"  I  fill  the  forest  with  sweetness,"  said  the  rose. 

These  answers  pleased  the  angel  of  all  wild  things. 

"You  are  all  helpers,"  she  said. 

"  I  see  that  every  one  is  trying  to  make  his  woodland  home  better 
and  happier." 


124  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

Now  let  the  children  tell  the  story,  reading  the 
first  part  from  their  books,  completing  the  sentences 
containing  blanks,  and  ending  the  story  as  they 
please.  Discourage  efforts  to  remember  the  sen- 
tences and  words  that  you  gave;  encourage  origin- 
ality. Have  the  story  retold  only  as  the  retelling 
brings  out  different  ideas;  there  is  no  value  in  hav- 
ing it  repeated  in  just  the  same  way  until  every  one 
can  say  it  fluently. 

Supplementary  Work 

Have  pupils  copy  the  title  and  the  first  four 
sentences  of  the  story,  The  Helpers  (p.  104).  These 
papers  may  be  preserved  and  used  in  the  next  lesson, 
which  calls  for  the  completion  of  the  story  in  writing. 

IX  (105).     Finishing  a  Story  in  Writing 

Before  the  children  begin  to  write  the  ending  of 
the  story,  The  Helpers,  as  they  are  directed  to  do  in 
their  book,  see  that  they  read  carefully  the  Three 
Things  to  Remember.  It  will  probably  be  well  also 
for  you  to  ask  them  a  few  reminding  questions  about 
capitals  and  the  period.  It  is  hardly  possible  at  this 
stage  to  take  too  many  precautions  for  the  avoidance 
of  errors. 

As  they  write,  be  constantly  on  the  alert  to  keep 
them  tactfully  from  error;  merely  your  interested, 
undistracted  attention  will  prevent  many  careless 
mistakes,  a  fitting  word  or  question  will  prevent  still 


WORDS  THAT  CAN  BE  USED  IN  PLACE  OF  SAID     125 

more.  Pay  especial  attention  to  the  children's  ef- 
forts to  write  the  very  end  of  the  story,  telling  what 
the  angel  thought  and  what  she  said.  Many  of 
them  may  need  considerable  help  at  this  point.  Help 
them  so  that  they  may  help  themselves. 

Have  pupils  correct  their  work.  The  correction  is 
quite  as  important  as  the  writing,  and  the  manner  of 
correction  is  as  important  as  the  correction  itself. 
(See  p.  49.) 

Supplementary  "Work 
Let  the  children  dramatize  the  story,  The  Helpers. 
They  should  do  this  with  little  or  no  direct  assist- 
ance. Perhaps  a  number  of  children  sufficient  to 
take  the  parts  can  leave  the  room  for  a  moment, 
assign  the  parts  among  themselves,  return  to  the 
room,  and  dramatize  the  story. 

X  (106).     Words  That  Can  be  Used  in  Place  of  Said 

This  lesson,  which  the  teacher  must  study  with 
the  pupils,  and  the  subsequent  applications  of  it,  is 
destined  to  increase  the  pupil's  usable  vocabulary. 
Write  and  keep  on  the  board  before  the  children,  as 
is  suggested  in  their  book,  a  list  of  words  that  may 
be  used  in  place  of  said.  See  that  pupils  are 
observant,  that  they  do  report  to  you,  as  directed, 
substitutes  for  this  word.  Call  attention  yourself  to 
such  words  in  the  pupils'  reading,  if  they  pass  them 
by  unnoticed.     Tell  them  that  on  a  certain  page,  or 


126  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

in  a  certain  paragraph,  which  they  are  reading,  there 
is  a  word  that  might  be  replaced  by  said ;  let  them 
find  it. 

Encourage  a  discriminating,  critical  use  of  these 
words.  Do  not  let  the  pupils  get  the  idea  that  either 
said  or  any  other  word  in  the  list  may  be  used  as 
any  one  pleases ;  but  lead  them  to  see  and  to  feel 
that,  while  one  word  might  be  used  in  place  of  sev- 
eral others,  said  in  place  of  any  of  the  others,  there 
is  one  word,  usually,  that  is  better  for  a  given  place 
than  any  other.  This  is  because  that  word  fits, 
because  it  expresses  definitely  and  fully  just  what 
ought  to  be  expressed  in  that  place.  Said  can  be 
used  so  much,  under  such  diverse  circumstances, 
because  its  meaning  is  so  very  general,  because  it 
tells  so  little  that  is  definite.  It  may  be  applied  to 
question,  answer,  statement,  to  any  utterance  of 
actual  or  imaginary  words ;  it  gives  no  suggestion 
of  the  manner  of  utterance.  Note  the  transforma- 
tions that  may  be  wrought  in  the  simplest,  most 
commonplace  sentence,  by  substituting  different 
words  for  said. 

"Give  me  my  hat,"  said  the  boy. 
"Give  me  my  hat,"  shouted  the  boy. 
"Give  me  my  hat,"  whimpered  the  boy. 
"  Give  me  my  hat,"  laughed  the  boy. 
"  Give  me  my  hat,"  faltered  the  boy. 
"  Give  me  my  hat,"  grumbled  the  boy. 
"  Give  me  my  hat,"  pleaded  the  boy. 
"  Give  me  my  hat,"  shivered  the  boy. 


WORDS  THAT  Cx\N  BE  USED  IN  PLACE  OF  SAID     127 

"Give  me  my  hat,"  mocked  the  boy. 
"  Give  me  my  hat,"  shrieked  the  boy. 
"  Give  me  my  hat,"  commanded  the  boy. 
"  Give  me  my  hat,"  hissed  the  boy. 

How  different  the  whole  sentence  looks,  how  dif- 
ferent the  mental  picture  and  feeling  aroused,  as 
one  word  after  another  is  substituted  for  the  practi- 
cally meaningless  said. 

In  learning  to  use  the  right  word,  the  definite, 
meaningful  word,  instead  of  the  vague  word,  the 
child  is  not  merely  enlarging  his  usable  vocabulary, 
he  is  learning  to  think  and  to  express  his  thoughts 
definitely.  This  lesson  is  not  to  be  learned  once  for 
all ;  it  is  a  lesson  for  the  whole  school  course,  for 
life.  It  is  not  to  be  learned  formally,  by  rule,  precept, 
and  formula;  it  is  to  be  learned  gradually,  here  a 
little,  there  a  little,  as  occasion  and  experience  offer 
opportunity. 

It  is  with  this  far  look  ahead  that  you  should  take 
up  the  study  of  this  lesson  with  the  children,  that 
you  should  continue  it  incidentally,  but  none  the 
less  effectively,  throughout  all  your  work  with  them. 
The  work  with  these  words  is  typical ;  it  calls  for 
and  develops  that  discriminating  judgment  and  taste 
which  pupils  must  learn  to  exercise  generally  in  the 
process  of  becoming  keen  thinkers  and  forceful 
speakers  and  writers. 


128  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

XI  (108).     Questions  for  You 

Before  pupils  write  answers  to  the  questions  in 
their  book,  get  them  to  discuss  freely  what  makes  a 
home  beautiful  —  order,  neatness,  cleanliness,  help- 
fulness, cheerfulness,  prompt  obedience  —  and  what 
makes  a  schoolroom  happy  —  industry,  cheerfulness, 
politeness,  helpfulness. 

XII  (108).     Picture  Stories 

(The  mouse  in  fairyland,  p.  109) 

As  the  children  have  now  had  some  experience  in 
working  out  picture  stories,  they  should  have  devel- 
oped considerable  self-confidence  and  some  origi- 
nality of  conception.  Not  to  hamper  them  by  too 
many  and  too  definite  suggestions,  the  questions 
given  them  on  the  mouse  in  fairyland  picture  are 
but  few.  What  they  now  most  need  is  the  oppor- 
tunity to  do  their  own  thinking  and  to  be  aided,  as 
necessary,  to  put  their  thoughts  and  the  expression 
of  their  thoughts  into  good  story  form.  This  aid 
must  come  after  their  original  thought  —  must  not 
suggest  the  thought  itself  —  and,  hence,  must  be 
given  by  the  skillful  teacher  who  knows  how  to  fol- 
low, to  direct  from  behind. 

The  possibilities  of  the  mo?ise  in  fairyland  pic- 
ture are  almost  unlimited,  as  any  class  of  children 
working  on  it  freely  will  quickly  demonstrate.  To 
prepare  herself  instantly  to  appreciate  and  tactfully 


PICTURE   STORIES  129 

to  direct  the  utilization  of  the  children's  varied  con- 
ceptions, the  teacher  should  make  a  thorough  study 
of  the  picture,  that  she  may  anticipate  many  of  its 
possibilities. 

After  the  pupils  have  studied  the  lesson  alone  — 
as  long  as  they  are  evidently  thinking  —  take  it  up 
with  them.  Perhaps  many  of  the  following  ideas 
will  develop. 

In  the  pupils'  book  two  possible  reasons  are  sug- 
gested for  the  mouse's  coming  to  the  fairies.  Sup- 
pose the  first  one,  that  he  was  afraid  of  something 
at  home  and  ran  away,  is  accepted. 

Of  what  was  he  afraid  ?     (The  cat.) 

What  did  the  cat  do?     (Chased  and  almost  caught  him.) 

What  did  the  little  mouse  say  to  his  mother  when  he  got  home  ? 
("  O  Mother,  the  big  gray  cat  almost  caught  me  !  I'm  afraid.  I 
am  going  to  look  for  a  land  where  there  are  no  cats.") 

What  did  the  mother  answer?  ("  There  is  only  one  such  land, 
and  that  is  Fairyland.") 

What  did  the  little  mouse  do  then?  (He  set  out  to  look  for 
Fairyland.) 

By  and  by  he  came  to  the  river.  Whom  did  he  see  swimming 
about  ? 

What  did  he  say  to  the  duck?  ("O  Mr.  Duck,  do  you  know 
where  Fairyland  is  ?  ") 

What  did  the  duck  answer?  The  picture  shows  that  he  knew. 
("Yes,  Fairyland  is  in  the  still  pool  where  the  water  lilies  grow.") 

What  did  the  little  mouse  then  ask?  ("Mr.  Duck,  will  you 
take  me  to  Fairyland?") 

What  did  the  duck  answer  ? 

What  did  he  do? 

When  the  mouse  reached  Fairyland,  what  did  he  say  to  the 


130  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

fairy  queen?  ("I  am  afraid  at  home,  for  the  old  gray  cat  is 
always  chasing  me.  I  want  to  live  in  a  land  where  there  are  no 
cats.     May  I  live  here?  ") 

Could  the  mouse  live  in  the  still  pool?     Would  he  not  drown? 
How  might  the  fairy  change  him  ?     (The  fairy  might  say,  "  If 
you  stay  here  you  will  drown  unless  I  change  you  into  a  fairy. 
Would  you  like  to  be  a  fairy?") 
What  did  the  little  mouse  answer? 

How  did  the  queen  change  him  into  a  fairy?  (Touched  him 
with  her  wand  and  said, 

"  Little  mouse,  so  soft  and  gray, 
Be  a  fairy  from  to-day  !  ") 
Then  what  did  the  little  mouse  do?     (He  flew  around  singing, 
"  Now  I'm  happy  !     Now  I'm  free  ! 
No  old  gray  cat  can  ever  catch  me  ! ") 

Suppose  the  second  suggestion,  that  the  mouse 
wanted  the  fairies  to  do  something  for  him,  is 
taken. 

What  fairy  gift  might  a  little  mouse  like  to  have  ? 

What  is  the  chief  care  of  a  little  field  mouse  ?  (To  provide 
food  for  himself  and  his  family.  Suppose  that  the  grain  in  the  field 
in  which  he  has  his  home  has  been  destroyed.  The  little  mouse 
fears  the  coming  winter  and  goes  to  the  fairies  for  help.  Fairy 
Queen  gives  him  a  bag  of  grain  —  a  fairy  bag  that  will  never 
be  empty.) 

Or,  suppose  neither  of  the  above  suggestions  are 
taken.  Perhaps  the  story  will  resemble  the  fable 
of  The  Lion  and  the  Mouse. 

Why  does  the  duck  help  the  mouse  —  they  are  not  usually 
friends  ?     (Perhaps  the  duck  was  once  caught  in  a  net,  or  tied 


SUPPLEMENTARY  WORK  131 

to  a  stake,  when  the  mouse  freed  it.  Later  when  the  mouse  is 
in  trouble,  the  duck  carries  him  to  the  fairies,  who  give  him  a 
fairy  gift.) 

The  three  suggestions  above  were  among  a  much 
larger  number  actually  made  and  worked  out  by 
children. 

At  any  point  the  children  in  your  class  may 
branch  off,  as  for  example,  at  the  very  beginning, 
the  children  may  say  he  was  afraid  of  traps.  Again, 
when  it  comes  to  the  test,  the  mouse  may  prefer  to 
brave  the  cat  rather  than  leave  his  mother  and 
home  and  become  a  fairy ;  or  the  fairy  queen  may 
change  him  into  some  animal  that  is  not  afraid  of 
cats. 

Whatever  suggestion  is  accepted  at  any  point 
in  the  story  —  and  a  variety  of  suggestions  should 
always  be  encouraged  —  you  must  be  careful  that 
it  is  in  harmony  with  the  story  as  developed  to  that 
point,  and  that  the  further  development  of  the  story 
is  in  harmony  with  the  suggestion. 

Supplementary  Work 

i.  Take  any  good  suggestion  made  but  not  used 
because  not  in  harmony  with  the  story  as  it  was 
being  worked  out,  and  work  out  a  story  in  harmony 
with  the  suggestion. 

2.  A  story  worked  out  in  accordance  with  any 
of  the  three  main  suggestions  above  is  suitable  for 
dramatizing. 


132  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

XIII  (no).     More  Picture  Stories 

(The  child's  visit  to  the  fairies,  p.  m) 

The  teacher  should  study  this  lesson  with  the 
children  from  the  beginning.  They  may  not  know 
very  much  about  fairies  and  elves.  This  picture 
furnishes  occasion  to  feed  their  natural  interest  and 
curiosity  —  to  tell  them  about  the  appearance  of 
fairies  and  elves;  their  homes;  their  ways  of  ap- 
pearing to  those  they  love ;  their  joy  in  good 
children,  especially  kind  children,  and  those  who 
believe  in  fairies  and  their  gifts. 

You  should  keep  ever  in  your  own  mind  that  the 
fairies  stand  for  beauty  and  unfailing  justice.  The 
help  of  the  fairies  is  never  given  to  the  lazy  or 
cruel.  They  always  reward  the  good,  and  punish, 
or  if  possible  reform,  the  bad.  Fairy  stories  satisfy 
the  child's  own  demand  for  strict  poetic  justice. 

The  elves  are  the  fairy  workers.  No  better  idea 
of  the  elves  can  be  given  the  children  than  that 
found  in  Grimm's  Fairy  Tales,  in  the  story  of  The 
Shoemaker  mid  the  Elves.  This  story  may  be  told 
to  the  children  at  this  time. 

Explain  more  fully  what  is  told  the  children 
under  the  questions,  "  What  is  another  name  for  the 
Land  of  Faraway  ?  "  and  "  Where  is  the  door  that 
leads  to  the  Land  of  Faraway  ? "  found  in  the  chil- 
dren's book. 

More  is  left  to  the  imagination  in   this   picture 


MORE   PICTURE   STORIES  133 

than  in  any  yet  given.  Of  imaginative  power  there 
will  be  no  lack.  Many  children,  however,  will  not 
have  had  experiences  which  will  enable  them  to 
conceive  adequate  pictures  of  the  scenes  in  Fairy- 
land. Here  the  teacher  must  help.  By  showing 
many  pictures,  preferably  colored,  and  by  supple- 
menting these  with  vivid  word  pictures  made  up  of 
bits  of  childish  experience,  the  children  will  be 
enabled  readily  to  conceive  the  scenes  and  activities 
of  Fairyland.  They  will  see  the  trees  of  Fairyland 
covered  with  gorgeous  flowers  and  wondrous  fruits ; 
they  will  see  birds  of  brilliant  plumage  flying  about, 
and  hear  their  glad  songs ;  they  will  lie  on  the  grass, 
soft  and  green  as  moss;  they  will  gaze  up  at  the 
sky,  deep  and  blue ;  they  will  mingle  with  the  fairies 
in  their  brilliant  dresses  and  with  wings  more 
beautiful  than  the  wings  of  the  finest  butterfly;  they 
will  delight  in  the  hurrying  elves  with  the  silver 
bells  on  their  shoes  and  caps  tinkling  as  they  flit 
about. 

All  these  delights  of  Fairyland  any  child  may 
experience  to  the  full  —  with  your  help.  It  will 
take  time ;  more  than  all,  it  will  require  sympathy 
and  enthusiasm.  Do  you  know  the  Faraway 
Land  ?  Then  you  will  know  how,  you  will  want 
to  introduce  your  children  to  its  unending  joys. 
This  is  not  impractical,  for  the  more  real  one's 
mental  pictures  of  the  Faraway  Land,  the  more 
beautiful  conceptions  will    he    form   of    the    Near- 


i34  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

Nowaday  Land,  and  the  more  earnestly  will  he 
strive  to  make  these  conceptions  real. 

Here  are  some  suggestions  for  one  of  the  many 
stories  that  the  picture  suggests. 

A  Dream  of  Fairyland 

(Title  should  not  be  supplied  until  the  end.) 

Little (select  name  suggested  by  children)  and  his  mothei 

went  into  the  woods  one  bright  summer  day.  They  sat  down  in 
the  shade  and  mother  took  out  her  sewing. 

"  Please  tell  me  a   story,  Mother,"  said .     "  Tell   me   a 

pretty  fairy  story." 

So   mother  told  the  child,  not  one,  but  many  beautiful  fairy 

tales.     When  she  had  finished,  lay  on  the  soft  moss  and 

thought,  "  There  may  be  fairies  living  in  this  very  wood.  Perhaps 
some  are  hiding  now  behind  that  great  tree  just  in  front  ot  me. 
I  wonder  how  people  go  to  the  Faraway  Land  where  the  fairies 
live.  I  wish,  Oh,  how  I  wish  a  fairy  would  come  and  take  me  to 
Fairyland  !  " 

(Notice  that  this  introduction  brings  into  the  story  the  chief 
objects  of  interest  in  the  picture  —  tree,  sign,  fairies.) 

The  woods  seemed  very  quiet.  The  little  birds  had  stopped 
singing.     There  was  no  sound  but  the  rustle,  rustle  of  the  leaves 

in  the  great  tree  just  in  front  of .     He  closed  his  eyes  for 

one  little  minute.  Then  he  heard  a  sweet  voice  say,  "  Do  you 
really  want  to  go  to  the  Faraway  Land?" 

opened  his  eyes.     There  stood  (the  picture  tells  what). 

What  did see  in  the  trunk  of  the  great  tree  before  him  ? 

(Door.)  What  was  written  above  the  door  ?  What  did  the  fairy 
do  ?  What  did  the  child  see  and  do  in  the  Faraway  Land  ? 
(Here  the  teacher  must  help  the  pupils.) 

The  child  had  a  beautiful  time,  dancing  with  the  fairies,  play- 
ing with  the  elves,  eating  honey  and  dew,  and  admiring  all  the 
wonderful  sights  of  Fairyland. 


MORE  PICTURE   STORIES  135 

At  last  the  fairy  queen  said,  "  You  make  such  a  dear  little  elf 
that  I  think  I  must  keep  you  here  always.  How  would  you  like 
to  be  dressed  like  one  of  these  little  elves  and  live  with  me 
forever?  " 

(The  remainder  of  the  story  will  depend  upon  the  boy's 
answer  to  this  question.     If  he  says,  "Yes,"  what  will  happen?) 

"  No,  no,"  cried  the  child.  "  I  do  not  want  to  stay  here 
always.  Fairyland  is  lovely,  but  I  want  to  go  home  to  my 
mother  !  "  At  the  thought  of  his  mother,  the  child  began  to  cry 
softly,  "  O  Mother,  Mother,  Mother  !  " 

"  There,  there  ! "  said  a  soft  voice  that  sounded  like  the  fairy 
queen's  and  like  mother's,  too,  "  don't  cry,  my  child."  (If  this 
was  the  fairy  queen  speaking,  what  might  she  do  to  comfort  the 
child?  Send  for  his  mother  to  come  to  Fairyland?  Then  how 
might  the  story  continue  and  end?)  " Open  your  eyes.  You  have 
had  a  bad  dream." 

The  child  opened  his  eyes.  He  was  resting  on  the  soft  moss, 
and  mother  was  bending  over  him. 

"  No,"  he  said,  as  he  looked  at  the  big  tree  just  in  front  of 
him,  "  no,  it  was  not  a  bad  dream.  It  was  the  most  beautiful 
dream  I  ever  had.     But  I  am  glad  it  was  only  a  dream."     Then 

slipped  his  little  hand  into  mother's  and  told  her  the  story 

of  his  visit  to  the  Land  of  Faraway. 

The  above  outline  is  offered  merely  as  a  type. 
It  is  not  intended  to  impose  it  upon  the  teacher, 
nor  must  she  impose  this  or  any  other  outline  which 
she  may  make  upon  the  children.  If  a  story  is  ever 
worked  out  with  the  children  to  fit  an  outline  which 
the  teacher  already  has  in  mind,  this  should  not  be 
done  at  a  sacrifice  of  the  pupils'  own  original  con- 
ceptions. The  ideas,  just  as  far  as  possible,  should 
always  come  from  the  children.     The  chief  function 


136  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

of  the  teacher  is  to  follow  the  children  in  their  con- 
ceptions and  to  help  them  to  build  their  conceptions 
into  a  harmonious  and  complete  story.  The  chil- 
dren are  to  furnish  the  content,  the  teacher  is  to 
help  them  give  it  form. 

Supplementary  Work 

i.    Let  the  little  boy  tell  his  story. 

2.  Let  the  fairy  queen  tell  her  story. 

3.  One  or  more  of  the  stories  may  be  dramatized. 

XIV  (113).     Studying  a  Poem 

Read  to  the  children,  with  appropriate  expression, 
The  Chestnut  Bur,  Study  the  lesson  with  them  in 
their  book.  In  having  parts  of  the  poem  read,  as 
directed,  work  for  free,  dramatic  expression.  This 
is  to  be  secured,  not  by  demanding  it,  but  by  mak- 
ing the  children  feel  free,  by  getting  them  "  into  the 
spirit"  of  the  poem,  by  making  them  enjoy  it,  by 
making  them  want  to  express  the  different  parts  of 
it  just  as  they  think  these  should  be  expressed. 
Such  freedom,  enjoyment,  and  desire  for  discrimi- 
nating expression  is  contagious;  let  the  teacher 
furnish  the  source  of  it. 

After  this  detailed  study,  have  as  many  children 
read  the  poem  as  time  allows,  remembering  that  the 
purpose  of  every  child  must  be  to  give  a  thoughtful, 
discriminating  rendering,  to  express  his  conceptions 
as  effectively  as  he  can. 


MEMORIZING   A  POEM  137 

Supplementary  "Work 

i.  Let  the  children  dramatize  the  story  in  the 
poem.  They  should  be  able  to  do  this  with  little 
or  no  direct  assistance.  It  will  help  them  to  recall 
the  movements  of  the  wind  and  the  sunshine  fairies 
as  they  dramatized  them  in  the  story,  The  Little 
White  Flower  (p.  91). 

2.  Children  may  tell  the  complete  story  from 
the  poem.  This  should  not  be  too  difficult,  after 
the  detailed  study  and  dramatization ;  the  events 
are  simple  and  given  in  natural  order,  which  the 
child  should  follow.  Be  not  satisfied  with  a  dry 
and  colorless  statement  of  the  facts;  that  is  no 
worthy  reproduction  at  all.  There  must  be  life, 
animation,  conversation,  concrete  detail,  even  to  the 
introduction  of  many  original  touches  not  inconsist- 
ent with  the  main  facts. 

XV  (116).     Memorizing  a  Poem 

The  poem,  The  Chestnut  Bur,  is  worthy  of  mem- 
orizing, not  only  on  account  of  its  appeal  to  the 
child's  fancy,  but  because  of  the  simple,  natural 
order  in  which  it  tells  the  story,  an  order  which  will 
serve  as  a  model  for  the  original  story  work  which 
the  pupils  will  soon  be  doing. 

See  that  the  pupils  understand  and  follow  the 
directions  given  in  their  book  for  memorizing  the 
poem.     After  they  have  studied  it  in  this  way  for 


138  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

eight  or  ten  minutes,  test  them.  Probably  some 
will  be  able  to  recite  all  three  stanzas  while  others 
will  scarcely  have  mastered  the  first.  Commend 
the  efforts  of  every  one  who  has  tried  faithfully,  and 
next  time  the  results  will  be  better;  censure  honest 
effort,  and  next  time  the  results,  if  not  the  effort, 
will  probably  be  less  satisfactory. 

Do  not  permit  any  mere  word  repetition  of  the 
poem.  The  pupil  who  cannot  say  it  with  appropri- 
ate expression  has  not  really  learned  it. 

Keep  this,  and  all  other  poems  that  are  memo-' 
rized,  fresh  by  occasional  review. 


CHAPTER   SIX 

On  account  of  the  relation  of  this  chapter  to 
the  preceding  work  it  is  especially  suited  either  to 
the  conclusion  of  the  third  or  to  the  beginning  of  the 
fourth  year's  work ;  or,  better  still,  it  may  serve  both 
as  the  concluding  chapter  of  the  third  and  the  be- 
ginning chapter  of  the  fourth  year  of  language 
study. 

The  chapter  takes  up  nothing  distinctly  new  — 
unless  the  writing  of  conversation  in  dialogue  form 
be  so  considered.  Study  the  work  given  and  com- 
pare it  with  that  covered  in  the  preceding  chapters, 
and  you  will  find  that  everything  taken  up  pre- 
viously—  all  kinds  of  exercises  and  all  marks  and 
forms  —  is  here  reviewed  thoroughly  and  the  power 
and  acquisitions  of  the  individual  pupil  well  tested. 
Yet  this  is  by  no  means  a  review  chapter  in  the  con- 
ventional meaning  of  that  term.  The  reviews  and 
tests  are  accomplished  —  and  most  effectively  —  not 
through  repetition  of  exercises  already  given,  but 
through  new  and  varied  material  and  exercises 
which  will  interest  the  children  and  elicit  their  best 
efforts  not  less  than  the  work  of  any  preceding 
chapter. 

139 


i4o  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

Whenever  this  chapter  is  completed,  whether 
at  the  end  of  the  third  or  at  the  beginning  of  the 
fourth  year,  or  at  both  these  periods,  compare  the 
work  from  the  beginning  of  the  book  and  the  pur- 
poses of  it  with  the  actual  accomplishment  of  the 
children.  If  these  questions  can  be  answered  in 
the  affirmative,  the  study  thus  far  has  been  a 
success. 

1.  Have  the  children  assimilated  the  ideas  and  the 
spirit  of  the  stories  —  the  fables  and  myths  —  made  them 
an  integral  and  usable  part  of  their  mental  assets  ? 

2.  Have  they  developed  a  considerable  degree  of  con- 
trol over  their  mental  stores  and  mental  powers  so  that 
they  can  reproduce  and  invent  stories  with  some  touch  of 
originality  and  express  them  orally  with  effect  ? 

3.  Are  they  beginning  to  acquire  the  power  of  express- 
ing their  thought  —  reproduced  and  original  —  in  writing  ? 

4.  Have  they  acquired  some  facility  —  through  dramatiz- 
ing, dialogue,  impersonation,  and  conversation  —  in  throw- 
ing themselves  appreciatively  into  the  position  of  different 
characters  ? 

5.  Are  they  acquiring  freedom,  naturalness,  spontaneity, 
and  individuality  of  thought,  feeling,  and  expression  ? 

6.  Do  they  know  and  understand  how,  when,  and  why 
to  use,  and  are  they  forming  the  habit  of  using  correctly 
the  forms  and  words  that  have  been  especially  taught  ? 

(a)  The  capital  to  begin  the  first  word  of  a  sentence  ; 
to  begin  the  first  and  principal  words  of  a 
title  ;  to  begin  proper  names  ;  to  begin  every 
line  Of  poetry  ;  to  begin  quotations. 


FURTHER   STUDY   OF   QUOTATIONS  141 

(b)  The  period  at  the  end  of  a  statement. 

(c)  The  question  mark. 

(d)  Quotation  marks. 

(e)  Their,  there  ;  to,  too,  two. 

Apply  these  questions  not  merely  to  your  class  as 
a  whole,  but  to  every  individual  in  it.  If  they  can 
be  answered  affirmatively  for  every  individual,  you 
need  not  worry  about  the  class ;  if  any  question 
must  be  answered  negatively  for  any  child,  it  does 
not  help  that  child  that  the  same  question  can  be 
answered  affirmatively  for  all  the  other  children. 
Try  to  locate  and  to  correct  individual  weaknesses. 

I  (117).     Further  Study  of  Quotations;  Capital  I 

Study  with  the  children  the  lesson  in  their  book ; 
supplement  the  questions  there  given  by  such  others 
as  may  be  necessary.  In  every  sentence  have  the 
pupil  tell  the  quotation,  the  rest  of  the  sentence, 
and  how  these  parts  of  the  sentence  are  separated, 
like  this : 

She  said,  "  Who  will  plant  this  wheat  ?  " 
The  quotation  is,  Who  will  plant  this  wheat? 
The  rest  of  the  sentence  is,  she  said. 

The  quotation  is  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  sentence  by  a 
comma. 

To  avoid  confusing  the  child,  no  suggestion  is 
made  in  the  pupils'  book  of  exceptions  to  the  rule, 
"  The  first  word  of  a  quotation  begins  with  a  capital 
letter."     Care  has  been  taken  throughout  the  book 


142  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

to  introduce  no  exception  to  this  in  matter  given  for 
the  pupils'  study.  Should  a  pupil  call  attention  to 
a  quotation,  the  first  word  of  which  does  not  begin 
with  a  capital,  such  as  may  be  found  in  the  pupils' 
book,  pages  140,  157,  and  elsewhere,  it  may  be  ex- 
plained briefly  that  single  words,  or  a  few  words 
that  would  not  make  a  complete  sentence  if  they 
stood  alone,  are  begun  with  small  letters  when 
quoted.  No  other  exception  to  the  general  rule  is 
likely  to  be  met  or  noted  by  the  pupils.  As  they 
advance  in  their  language 'study,  and  with  the  gen- 
eral rule  fixed,  they  will  easily  grasp  and  apply  the 
exception. 

II  (120).     Copying  to  Learn  the  Writing  of  Quotations 
and  the  Capital  I 

Do  everything  possible  to  encourage  accuracy 
and  neatness  in  the  pupils'  work.  Try  to  make 
sure  that  pupils  do  think  to  themselves  the  reasons 
for  the  use  of  marks  of  punctuation,  quotation  marks, 
and  capitals,  as  they  make  them.  Help  pupils  to 
avoid  mistakes.  Have  the  mistakes  that  are  made 
—  in  spite  of  your  efforts  and  the  efforts  of  the  pu- 
pils—  corrected  at  once  by  the  pupil  after  giving 
the  reasons  for  the  correct  form.  In  the  correcting 
follow  carefully  the  directions  given  in  Chapter  Five 
(p.  116). 

Save  the  pupils'  papers.  Add  to  them  the  papers 
written  on  the  remaining  parts  of  the  story,  as  these 


PUPILS'  STUDY  IN  PREPARATION  FOR  DICTATION    143 

are  studied.  When  the  story  has  been  completed, 
each  pupils  papers  may  be  bound  into  a  little  book- 
let, for  which  the  pupil  may  make  and  decorate  a 
suitable  cover. 


Ill  (121).     Pupils'  Study  in  Preparation  for  Dictation 

While  the  pupils  are  studying  this  lesson,  go  from 
one  to  another  — especially  among  the  poorer  pu- 
pils— to  see  that  every  one  is  really  studying  intelli- 
gently. You  must  know  what  each  one's  weaknesses 
are  and  what  difficulties  he  is  likely  to  have.  Per- 
haps one  is  not  telling  himself  the  reason  for  the 
use  of  the  capital  to  begin  the  word  Who,  second 
sentence,  because  he  has  forgotten.  By  questions 
and  suggestions  help  him  to  remember  that  the  book 
has  told  him  already  the  reason  for  this,  and  help 
him  to  turn  back  in  his  book  until  he  finds  it  (p.  118). 
Similarly,  help  other  pupils  to  find  out  from  some 
previous  lesson  why  /  is  a  capital,  why  the  comma 
is  used,  and  why  the  question  mark  is  inside  the 
quotation  marks. 

In  all  of  this,  do  as  little  for  the  pupil  as  possible, 
get  him  to  do  all  he  can  for  himself.  Of  course  it 
is  much  easier  —  and  it  takes  far  less  time  —  to  tell 
the  pupil  at  once  what  he  seems  to  need,  to  call  upon 
some  other  pupil  to  tell  him,  or  to  refer  him  to  the 
exact  place  in  his  book  where  the  desired  information 
is  given ;  but  this  is  not  training  the  pupil  to  help 


144  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

himself,  to  rely  upon  himself,  to  command  and  to 
use  what  he  has  learned  and  the  book  in  which  he 
has  learned  it  —  it  is  doing  just  the  reverse,  en- 
couraging dependence  on  others.  You  will  often 
find  that  a  pupil  really  does  know  what  he  seems 
not  to  know,  what  he  thinks  himself  he  does  not 
know;  you  will  find  also  that  many,  perhaps  most 
pupils,  are  not  using  their  books,  but  merely  reading 
in  them  what  they  are  specially  told  to  read.  Now 
here  are  two  of  the  most  important  lessons  that  any 
pupil  can  learn  in  school,  two  of  the  most  valuable 
habits  that  any  one  can  acquire,  the  habit  of  using 
what  one  has  learned  and  the  habit  of  using  books  ; 
these  habits  are  of  vastly  more  moment  than  the 
knowledge  of  any  number  of  mere  facts,  rules,  or 
principles  of  language  or  of  any  other  subject.  The 
process  of  teaching  and  learning  language  and  every 
other  subject  must  be  such  as  to  insure  the  estab- 
lishment and  development  of  these  habits.  Fortu- 
nately, the  process  of  teaching  and  learning  that 
will  accomplish  this  is,  in  the  long  run,  the  most 
effective  that  can  be  employed,  considered  merely 
from  the  standpoint  of  the  mastery  of  any  given 
subject. 

After  the  pupils  have  studied  by  themselves  for 
ten  or  twelve  minutes,  you  may  take  up  the  last  two 
or  three  sentences  for  class  study  aloud. 


TESTING  AND   TEACHING   THROUGH  DICTATION     145 

IV  (122).     Testing  and  Teaching  through  Dictation 

A  dictation  exercise  that  has  any  value  is  given, 
not  because  dictation  is  a  good  way  to  teach  language, 
but  because  that  particular  exercise,  rightly  used,  is 
suitable  for  the  teaching  of  certain  definite  things. 
That  a  dictation  exercise  may  be  effective,  the 
teacher  must  have  clearly  in  mind  the  specific  things 
which  may  be  taught  through  that  exercise ;  then 
she  must  conduct  the  exercise  in  a  way  to  teach 
those  specific  things.  Part  Two  of  The  Little  Red 
Hen,  which  is  to  be  dictated  at  this  time,  may  be 
made  to  test  and  teach  almost  every  conventional 
written  form  that  pupils  have  thus  far  studied : 


Capitals 


"to  begin  the  first  and  principal  words  of  a  title, 
to  begin  the  first  word  of  a  sentence, 
to  begin  the  first  word  of  a  quotation. 
%  for  the  word  /. 
A  period  at  the  end  of  a  sentence  that  is  a  statement. 
A  question  mark  at  the  end  of  a  sentence  that  asks  a  question. 
A  comma  to  separate  a  quotation  from  the  rest  of  the  sentence. 
Quotation  marks  to  inclose  a  quotation. 

For  the  purpose  of  anticipating  mistakes,  it  will 
be  well  to  question  pupils  on  these  matters  just  be- 
fore beginning  the  dictation.  Dictate  full  sentences, 
even  though  the  sentence,  like  the  second,  may 
seem  long.  Better  repeat,  and  have  pupils  repeat 
after  you,  two  or  three  times,  than  to  break  the 
sentence  in  the  dictation.  For  further  suggestions 
regarding  dictation,  see  page  50.     It  should  hardly 


146  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

be  necessary  here,  as  there  advised,  to  question  on 
each  sentence  in  detail  before  it  is  written.  Such 
questioning  on  the  first  sentence  containing  a  quota- 
tion should  suffice. 

In  correcting,  follow  carefully  the  directions  given 
in  the  exercise  to  which  reference  has  just  been 
made  (p.  117).  It  is  highly  desirable  to  have  the 
correction  follow  immediately  the  dictation.  But  if 
the  time  is  too  short  for  both  the  dictation  and  the 
correcting,  take  another  period  for  the  latter.  The 
careful  correcting  of  an  exercise  like  this  should 
never  be  omitted  or  slighted.  Without  correcting, 
the  exercise  has  not  served  its  purpose ;  it  has  not 
taught,  and  it  has  tested  in  vain.  Worse  still,  it  has 
probably  permitted  the  making  of  errors,  uncon- 
sciously or  in  good  faith,  adding  strength  to  the 
tendency  to  make  the  same  errors  again,  and  it  has 
undoubtedly  fostered  in  many  pupils  a  feeling  of  in- 
difference to  correct  forms.  Better  not  give  such 
an  exercise  than  to  stop  with  the  dictation. 

V  (122).     Unstudied  Dictation 

With  only  such  study  as  you  think  necessary  on 
the  spelling  of  difficult  words,  such  as  brought,  flour* 
and  bread,  which  may  be  written  on  the  board  and 
spelled  orally,  dictate  the  following,  which  is  Part 
Three  of  The  Little  Red  Hen.  Note  that  the  last 
four  of  the  six  sentences  are  exactly  the  same  as  the 
corresponding  four  in  Parts  One  and  Two. 


SUMMARY  OF   THE   USES   OF   CAPITALS  147 

The  Little  Red  Hen 

The  little  red  hen  brought  the  flour  home. 

Then  she  said,  "  Who  will  make  this  flour  into  bread?  " 

The  rat  said,  "Not  I." 

The  cat  said,  "  Not  I." 

The  pig  said,  "Not  I." 

"  I  will,"  said  the  little  red  hen,  and  she  did. 

In  dictating  and  correcting,  follow  the  directions 
given  in  the  last  and  in  previous  lessons. 

VI  (123).     A  Written  Reproduction 

In  this  lesson,  which  children  are  to  study  and 
prepare  by  themselves,  do  not  try  to  keep  them 
together  in  their  work ;  let  each  child  begin  to  write 
as  soon  as  he  is  ready.  Insist  that  each  one  corrects 
his  work,  as  directed,  before  he  brings  it  to  you  for 
criticism.  In  the  correction  with  you,  when  you 
note  a  mistake,  do  not  tell  the  pupil  outright  what 
the  mistake  is;  with  as  little  help  as  possible,  let 
him  find  out  what  it  is  and  tell  what  the  correction 
should  be  and  why. 

There  is  one,  and  only  one,  new  point  in  this  les- 
son, the  use  of  the  comma  to  separate  no  from  the 
rest  of  the  sentence.  It  is  unnecessary  to  give  any 
explanation  of  this,  at  this  time,  further  than  the 
statement  that  is  given  in  the  pupils'  book. 

VII    (124).     Summary  of  the  Uses  of  Capitals 

Note  that  the  word  paragraph  is  used  several 
times.     Attempt  no  definition  of  this  term,  simply 


148  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

use  it  and  thus  let  pupils  become  familiar  with  the 
word  and  at  least  the  appearance  of  the  thing  indi- 
cated. They  can  learn  to  use  paragraphs,  just  as 
they  have  learned  to  use  words  and  sentences,  with- 
out being  able  to  give  or  really  to  understand  a  defi- 
nition of  any  of  these  terms. 

Supplementary  Work 

Taking  as  a  basis  any  story,  or  part  of  a  story,  that 
has  already  been  used  in  the  pupils'  book,  question, 
as  in  this  lesson,  regarding  the  use  of  capitals. 

VIII  (126).    A  Written  Exercise  on  the  Use  of  Capitals 

Your  criticism  and  the  pupils'  correction  of  their 
work  may  begin  as  soon  as  the  pupils  begin  to  write. 
Go  about  from  desk  to  desk.  You  will  know  what 
pupils  need  special  help  and  encouragement  in  get- 
ting started. 

Of  course  the  pupils'  work  must  be  correct  in 
form  as  well  as  in  reasons  given  for  the  use  of  the 
several  capitals. 

IX  (127).     Reading 

Read  the  story  to  the  children,  then  have  them 
read  it,  first  in  narrative  form,  then  in  dialogue  form, 
as  was  done  in  the  case  of  the  story,  Mabel  and  the 
Fairy  Folk  (p.  52).  Carry  out  here  the  suggestions 
given  in  that  lesson  for  the  reading  and  the  critical 
discussion  of  the  reading. 


WRITING  A  CONVERSATION  IN   DIALOGUE  FORM    149 

X  (130).     Studying  the  Story,  "The  Star  Visitor" 

This  is  a  lesson  for  the  pupils  to  study  from  their 
books.  As  the  questions  in  their  book  indicate,  the 
study  of  it  will  prepare  them  to  dramatize  it.  To 
make  their  study  thoroughly  successful,  you  should 
supervise  their  work  carefully,  to  insure  that  every 
one,  particularly  the  poorer  ones,  and  those  who  have 
not  fully  learned  to  concentrate  their  attention,  are 
really  working  intelligently  and  faithfully.  Near  the 
close  of  their  study  period  some  of  the  more  difficult 
questions  should  be  taken  up  for  oral  answer  and  dis- 
cussion. 

XI  (i<£2).    Dramatizing  the  Story,  "The  Star  Visitor" 

Every  exercise  in  dramatizing  should  put  upon 
the  children  a  little  more  responsibility  than  they 
have  had  in  the  past,  should  offer  them  more  oppor- 
tunity for  initiative  and  originality.  Their  experi- 
ence thus  far  and  their  thorough  study  of  the  story 
should  enable  them  with  slight  help  from  the 
teacher  and  without  hesitation  to  arrange  and  assign 
the  parts,  to  locate  the  different  scenes,  and  to  carry 
out  the  play. 

See  full  directions  and  suggestions  for  dramatiz- 
ing (pp.  14,  38,  69). 

XII  (132).     Writing  a  Conversation  in  Dialogue  Form 

See  that  pupils  understand  what  is  required  of 
them.     Supervise  their  work  to  see  that  they  are 


150  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

applying  correctly  not  only  what  they  are  told  in 
this  lesson,  but  all  that  they  have  learned  about  the 
use  of  capitals  and  the  period.  Let  them  copy  the 
colon  after  the  names  of  the  speakers,  the  cat  and 
the  owl,  without  explanation. 

When  they  have  finished  writing  have  two  chil- 
dren stand  and  read  from  their  papers,  one  taking 
the  part  of  the  catr  the  other  of  the  owl.  In  this 
reading,,  of  course,  they  should  omit  the  words,  cat 
and  owl. 

XIII  (133).     Picture  Stories 

(Child  in  the  snow,  p.  134) 

This  picture  tells  its  story  so  vividly  th^t  the 
children  need  little  help  from  the  teacher  \\\  getting 
the  main  facts ;  to  realize  its  possibilities  :>f  endless 
variety  in  detail,  however,  requires  the  teacher's 
skillful  guidance.. 

The  questions  in  the  children's  book  concerning 
the  time  that  the  little  girl  went  out  and  the  reason 
for  her  leaving  home  should  call  forth  a  variety  of 
introductions.  Here  are  some  that  have  been  given 
by  children: 

1.  She  went  out  in  the  afternoon  to  visit  her  grandmother  or  a 
playmate,  (a)  She  forgot  and  stayed  too  late.  (/>)  She  left  in 
time  but  stopped  to  visit  a  little  friend,  (r)  She  stopped  to  play 
in  the  snow.  (//)  She  stopped  to  coast  with  some  other  children. 
(e)  She  left  in  plenty  of  time,  but  it  began  to  snow,  the  wind 
blew,  and  it  suddenly  began  to  grow  dark,  so  she  lost  the  path. 
(/)    She  left  in  plenty  of  time,  but  instead  of  keeping  to  the  road, 


PICTURE   STORIES  151 

she  thought  she  would  save  time  by  cutting  through  the  fields. 
The  snow  had  covered  all  the  paths ;  as  it  grew  dark,  she  lost  her 
way. 

2.  She  went  out  after  dark  to  look  for  her  kitty  and  got  lost. 

3.  She  is  a  poor  little  child  who  has  no  home  and  no  parents. 
She  was  wandering  from  door  to  door  begging  until,  almost 
frozen,  she  sank  to  the  ground. 

4.  She  was  cross  because  her  mother  would  not  let  her  do 
something  that  she  wanted  to  do,  so  she  ran  away  and  got  lost. 

Many  answers  may  be  given  to  the  question  ask- 
ing how  long  the  dog  has  been  with  the  child.  Of 
course  the  answer  to  this  question  and  the  intro- 
duction that  is  selected  for  the  story  must  be  in  har- 
mony. Either  the  answer  to  this  question  must  fit 
the  introduction,  or  the  latter  must  be  made  to  fit 
the  answer;  perhaps  it  will  seem  best  to  modify  each 
somewhat. 

Whatever  the  beginning  and  the  main  part,  the 
story  may  have  several  different  endings.  A  satis- 
factory ending  should  see  the  child  taken  to  a  place 
of  comfort,  her  own  home  or  elsewhere,  tenderly 
cared  for,  and  fully  restored. 

See  that  the  dog  is  given  his  full  share  of  credit. 

Do  not  be  satisfied  with  one  good  title.  Perhaps 
the  children  will  give  you  some  of  the  following: 
Saved  !  Brave  Rover,  A  Dog  Hero,  The  Lost  Child, 
Lost  in  the  Drifts,  Found! 

The  title  may  be  sought  before  the  story  is  begun  or 
after  it  is  ended.  A  title  chosen  at  the  outset  will 
often  help  to  give  form  and  direction  to  the  story. 


152  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

Supplementary  Work 

Let  children  try  to  tell  the  story  from  the  stand- 
point of  the  little  girl.  To  do  this  they  must  be- 
come the  little  girl,  go  through  her  experiences  and 
weave  these  into  a  connected  story  to  be  told  in  the 
first  person. 

This  exercise  requires  a  change  of  attitude  similar 
to  that  required  in  the  dramatizing  of  a  story.  Like 
dramatizing  it  gives  increased  vividness  to  the 
pupil's  conceptions,  feelings,  and  expressions.  Dif- 
ferent titles  from  those  already  used  will  be  called 
for.    Perhaps  some  like  these  will  be  found  suitable : 

How  I  Went  to  Bed  in  the  Snow 

When  I  Ran  Away 

My  Best  Friend 

My  Dream  in  the  Snow  » 

XIV  (135.)    More  Picture  Stories 
(Children  in  the  woods,  p.  137) 

Study  the  lesson  orally  with  the  children.  See 
that  the  latter  part  of  the  lesson  has  the  effect  in- 
tended, that  it  helps  to  show  the  children  the  folly 
of  being  afraid  of  imaginary  things.  Try  to  have 
them  show  their  appreciation  of  this  in  the  way 
they  tell  this  part  of  the  story. 

Supplementary  Work 
i.    The  lesson  of  the  folly  of  baseless  fears  may 
be  reenforced  by  having  stories  told  that  may  be 
suggested  by  these  questions  : 


SUPPLEMENTARY   WORK  153 

Were  you  ever  afraid  of  anything  you  saw  at  night  that  you 
would  hardly  notice  in  the  daytime,  such  as  hanging  clothing,  a 
shadow,  a  bush,  an  old  stump,  a  stone,  a  noise? 

What  did  you  do  to  cure  yourself  of  your  fright? 

What  might  you  have  done?  (Walked  straight  up  to  it  and 
touched  it.) 

This  is  the  lesson  to  be  driven  home.  Fear  is  in- 
side; nothing  outside  can  harm.  Examine  the  thing 
that  causes  fear;  touch  it,  and  the  fear  will  vanish. 

2.  Have  pupils  write  the  first  paragraph  of  the 
story,  telling  how  the  children  came  to  be  alone 
in  the  woods  at  night  and  about  their  fright.  Be- 
fore allowing  them  to  write,  work  over  the  oral 
telling  of  the  paragraph  with  them  until  each  child 
knows  just  exactly  what  he  is  going  to  write,  then  he 
will  not  have  to  think  of  what  he  is  to  write  so  in- 
tensely that  he  will  forget  how  to  spell  and  punctuate. 
The  better  his  oral  form,  the  fewer  mistakes  in  the 
written  work  to  be  corrected  by  pupil  and  teacher. 
It  may  help  the  children  to  put  definite  questions  on 
the  board  before  them,  the  answers  to  which,  given 
in  complete  sentences,  will  make  a  connected  whole. 
Such  questions  as  these  will  serve : 

Where  did  three  children  go  one  day  ?. 
How  did  they  happen  to  be  out  after  dark  ? 
On  their  way  home  what  lonely  place  did  they  have  to  pass 
through  ? 

How  did  the  trees  look? 

How  did  the  children  feel  about  it? 

What  did  they  do? 


154  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

The  answers  given  first  orally  and  then  in  writing 
might  be  as  follows : 

(a)  One  day  three  little  children  went  to  a  party.  They  stayed 
so  late  that  it  was  dark  when  they  started  for  home.  As  they 
went  home  they  had  to  pass  through  a  wood.  The  trees  looked 
like  giants.  The  children  were  frightened.  They  ran  home  as 
fast  as  they  could  go. 

Or  the  answers  might  be  more  like  this: 

{b)  Three  little  children  were  out  playing  one  day.  They 
were  having  such  a  good  time  that  they  played  until  it  was  dark. 
On  the  way  home  they  passed  through  a  wood.  The  trees  looked 
like  monsters  with  great  eyes  and  long  arms  and  legs.  The. 
children  were  frightened.  They  took  hold  of  hands  and  ran 
home. 

The  first  and  second  questions  are  the  ones  that 
offer  most  chance  for  variety.  Take  these  questions 
separately,  having  several  children  in  turn  answer 
each  question  in  a  complete  sentence.  Thoughts 
like  the  following  may  be  brought  forth : 

The  children  loitered  on  their  way  from  school  (why  ?)  ;  they 
were  told  never  to  go  into  the  woods  (why?)  ;  they  disobeyed 
(why?)  and  were  lost ;  they  started  to  run  away  from  home 
(why?),  were  frightened  by  the  trees,  and  turned  and  ran  home; 
they  came  into  the  woods  to  get  a  Christmas  tree,  stayed  too  late, 
thought  the  trees  were  trying  to  punish  them  for  cutting  down 
their  little  brother ;  they  had  been  chasing  the  squirrels  from  their 
nests  in  the  trees  or  stealing  the  squirrels'  winter  store  of  nuts  and 
thought  the  trees  were  angry. 

When  pupils  have  answered  all  questions  in  order, 
to  insure  connected  thought,  let  them  write. 


TELLING   THE  STORY   FROM   THE  POEM        155 

3.  Have  children  write  as  many  titles  for  this 
story  as  they  can,  either  writing  in  turn  on  the 
blackboard  or  on  individual  papers  for  seat  work. 

4.  Encourage  the  best  pupils  to  write  the  whole 
story.  If  only  one  child  writes  the  complete  story 
have  him  carefully  correct  and  copy  it.  Put  his 
story  away  in  some  book  or  portfolio  as  the  begin- 
ning of  a  collection  of  picture  stories.  Other  chil- 
dren will  be  anxious  to  add  to  the  collection. 

XV  (138).     Studying  a  Poem 

Read  the  poem,  One,  Two,  Three,  to  and  with 
the  children.  Let  it  be  so  read  that  every  one  will 
get  fully  into  the  spirit  of  it.  Apply  here  the  sug- 
gestions already  given  for  effective  reading,  for  the 
discussion  and  improvement  of  reading  (pp.  8,  36). 

XVI  (141).     Telling  the  Story  from  the  Poem 

After  the  children  have  studied  the  poem  as  di- 
rected, call  upon  several  to  tell  the  story  of  grandma 
and  the  little  boy  who  was  half  past  three.  En- 
courage originality  and  individuality  in  the  telling. 

XVII  (141).     Playing  "One,  Two,  Three" 

Let  the  children  choose  one  child  to  "  hide." 
The  child  chosen  may  think  a  moment  of  the  place 
where  he  will  hide.  He  should  think  of  some 
place  in  the  vicinity  —  in  the  schoolroom,  the  build- 
ing, or  the    yard.     If   found    desirable,  the   hiding 


156  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

place  may  be  limited  to  the  room,  or  the  building. 
When  the  one  hiding  has  chosen  his  hiding  place, 
he  calls,  "  Ready  !  "  Then  the  other  children  guess, 
under  whatever  restrictions  may  be  imposed  re- 
garding "  turns,"  where  he  is  hiding. 

In  guessing,  the  children  must  ask  good  ques- 
tions, such  as  this,  "Are  you  in  the  cloakroom?" 
and  the  one  hiding  must  give  full  answers,  like  this, 
"  No,  I  am  not  in  the  cloakroom." 

The  one  who  is  hiding  may  give  a  little  help,  as 
grandma  did,  by  saying,  "  You  are  cold,"  if  the 
place  guessed  is  not  near  the  place  in  which  the 
child  plays  he  is  hiding,  or,  "  You  are  warm,"  if 
the  place  guessed  is  near  the  chosen  place. 

The  one  who  guesses  the  hiding  place  takes  his 
turn  at  hiding  while  the  others  "hunt "  for  him. 

There  is  no  fun  and  little  value  in  the  game 
when  it  is  allowed  to  drag.  Every  one  must  be 
alert,  —  think,  guess,  reply  quickly. 

Playing  this  game  has  the  same  effect  as  drama- 
tizing. It  helps  the  children  to  get  fully  into  the 
spirit  of  the  poem  and  to  appreciate  such  expressions 
as,  "  In  guesses  One,  Two,  Three,"  "  You  are  in  the 
china  closet,"  "  But  he  still  had  Two  and  Three," 
"  You  are  warm  and  warmer,"  "  And  he  found  her 
with  his  Three."  Following  the  play  let  the  children 
read  the  poem  again ;  they  will  show  that  they  are 
now  playing  with  Grandma  and  the  wee  lad. 


CHAPTER   SEVEN 

Chapter  Six  was  a  transition  chapter.  It  served 
to  test  and  review  —  not  by  formal  repetition,  but 
through  use  —  the  results  of  the  work  of  the  preced- 
ing chapters.  Even  though  that  chapter  may  have 
been  completed  at  the  end  of  the  third  year,  the  work 
of  the  fourth  year  should  begin  with  it. 

In  preparation  for  the  work  of  this  chapter,  you 
should  familiarize  yourself  thoroughly  with  all  the 
work  of  the  preceding  chapters  so  that  you  will 
know  not  merely  the  specific  things  that  have  been 
taught,  but  so  that  you  may  at  the  outset  get  fully 
into  the  spirit  and  purpose  of  the  work.  At  the 
opening  of  each  previous  chapter  you  will  find  a 
summary  statement  of  what  the  chapter  contains ; 
but  it  is  not  enough  to  read  these  summaries.  The 
work  of  every  chapter,  as  explained  in  this  Manual 
and  as  presented  in  the  pupils'  book,  should  be 
studied  until  mastered.  Only  thus  can  you  prepare 
yourself  to  direct  successfully  the  continuation  of 
your  pupils'  work  as  they  take  up  Chapter  Seven. 
This  chapter,  also,  you  should  study  through  care- 
fully in  the  light  of  the  previous  chapters,  before 
beginning  the  work  with  the  children. 

You  will  observe  that  all  the  main  ideas,  all  the 

157 


158  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

principal  kinds  of  work,  all  the  conventional  forms, 
presented  in  the  first  six  chapters,  are  continued  in 
this  chapter.  The  work  of  this  and  of  subsequent 
chapters,  which  keep  in  constant  review  through 
use  in  ever  changing  ways  all  the  essentials  pre- 
sented from  the  beginning,  should  be  made  to 
correct  any  of  the  weaknesses  of  previous  work, 
however  these  may  have  arisen. 

This  plan  of  advance  must  not  suggest  the  forget- 
ting either  by  pupils  or  teacher  of  the  work  of  the 
past,  even  of  the  precise  form  and  content  of  much 
of  it.  On  the  contrary,  past  work  should  always  be 
kept  fresh  by  reference  and  comparison ;  it  furnishes 
types  which  are  of  inestimable  value  in  facilitating 
the  appreciation  and  mastery  of  future  work.  This 
suggests  another  and  important  reason  for  the  inti- 
mate familiarity  of  the  teacher  with  all  the  pupils' 
previous  work. 

In  addition  to  the  continuation  of  all  kinds  of 
work  previously  taken  up,  this  chapter  contains  the 
following  new  work : 

1.  The  names  of  the  days  of  the  week  ;  their  origin  and 
meaning.     Practice  in  writing  them  in  full  and  abbreviated. 

2.  The  use  of  the  period  in  writing  abbreviations. 

3.  Possessives  and  the  use  of  the  apostrophe. 

4.  Writing  a  story  from  different  standpoints,  those  of 
different  actors  or  observers. 

6.  The  beginnings  of  written  picture  stories. 


STUDYING  A  STORY  159 

I  (142).     Studying  a  Story;  Quotations  Reviewed; 
Capitals  to  Begin  Days  of  the  Week 

Read  the  story  through  with  the  children.  Ask 
them  to  read  by  paragraphs.  Just  say,  "  Read  the 
first  paragraph,  the  second  paragraph,  etc."  Ask 
such  questions  and  give  such  directions  as  these : 
How  many  paragraphs  in  this  story?  What  is 
the  first  word  of  the  first  paragraph  ?  Of  the  sec- 
ond paragraph?  Read  the  first  sentence  of  the 
second  paragraph.  Read  the  last  sentence  of  the 
first  paragraph.  Read  the  third  sentence  of  the  last 
paragraph. 

Use  the  word  paragraph  freely  in  talking  about 
the  story  and  in  studying  it.  This  is  for  the  purpose 
of  familiarizing  the  children  with  the  use  of  the  term 
and  making  them  observant  of  the  division  of  stories 
into  paragraphs.  Attempt  no  definition  or  formal 
description  of  a  paragraph  (see  p.  47). 

See  how  many  children  will  note  the  words  Sun- 
day  and  Monday  beginning  with  capitals  and  recog- 
nize that  they  offer  something  new.  Their  atten- 
tion may  be  directed  to  them  by  such  questions  as 
these:  What  words  begin  with  capitals  in  the  first, 
sentence  of  the  first  paragraph  ?  Why  ?  What  words 
begin  with  capitals  in  the  third  sentence  of  the  third 
paragraph?  Why?  Let  children  study  aloud  the 
use  of  capitals  to  begin  these  words,  using  the  form 
given  in  their  book. 

Have  pupils  study  independently  the  questions  on 


160  TEACHER'S   MANUAL     * 

the  lesson,  but  hold  yourself  in  readiness  to  answer 
any  question  or  to  direct  the  work  of  any  child  that 
may  be  having  difficulty.  See  that  every  pupil 
is  really  studying  actively  and  understandingly.  Be 
quick  to  detect  the  concealment  of  inactivity  and 
nonexertion  by  the  mere  semblance  of  attention. 
Do  not  allow  children  to  form  this  lazy,  sleepy  habit; 
arouse  them. 

In  studying  the  quotations  of  this  story  say  noth- 
ing about  the  break  in  a  quotation,  such  as  occurs 
in  paragraphs  two  and  three;  just  teach  and  insist 
that  pupils  learn  and  say  that  all  the  exact  words  of 
a  speaker — all  and  not  one  more  —  must  have 
quotation  marks  around  them. 

The  quotation  of  paragraph  two  should  be  studied 
as  follows: 

There  are  quotation  marks  around  Go  away,  because  these  are 
the  exact  words  of  the   sun. 

There  is  a  comma  to  separate  the  quotation  from  the  rest  of  the 
sentence. 

There  is  a  period  after  the  sentence,  because  it  is  a  statement. 

There  are  quotation  marks  around  Do  you  not  know  that  this  is 
my  day  ?  You  have  done  wrong  on  my  day.  So  you  cannot  enter 
here.  Go  to  the  moon,  because  these  are  the  exact  words  of  the 
sun. 

Always  have  pupils,  when  giving  a  quotation,  read 
every  word  of  the  quotation — and  not  a  word  more. 
This  will  train  them  to  distinguish  sharply  the  quota- 
tion from  the  other  words  of  sentences. 


THE  DAYS  OF  THE  WEEK         161 

II  (144).     Dictation,  Studied  and  Unstudied 

Without  reviewing  the  questions  on  the  last  lesson 
or  having  pupils  study  it  in  any  way,  dictate  the 
story  as  given  below.  The  pupils  should  be  acquir- 
ing power;  this  exercise  will  test  them.  As  you 
will  observe,  the  condensation  of  the  story  brings  in 
some  new  sentences  (unstudied  dictation),  while 
several  are  like  the  original  (studied  dictation).  In 
dictation  that  has  not  been  thoroughly  studied,  tell 
pupils  when  to  begin  a  paragraph  by  saying,  "  Par- 
agraph." 

The  Man  in  the  Moon 

A  man  was  lifted  to  the  sky  for  working  on  Sunday.  He  tried 
to  enter  the  sun. 

"  Go  away,"  said  the  sun.  "  You  have  done  wrong  on  my 
day.     I  will  not  have  you  here.     Go  to  the  moon." 

The  man  entered  the  moon.  There  he  stands  until  this  very 
day. 

The  story,  as  here  abridged,  is  so  short  that  it 
should  be  dictated  and  corrected  in  a  single  exercise. 
Observe    directions   already   given    for   correcting 

(p.  48). 

Ill  (144)-     The  Days  of  the  Week  ;  Origin  of  the 
Names ;  Abbreviations ;  Use  of  Capitals 

Study  this  lesson  with  the  children,  giving  as 
little  direct  help  as  possible,  but  making  sure  that 
every  one  studies  actively  and  intelligently  as  the 
pupils'  book  directs.     Look  over  with   each  child, 


162  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

as  he  hands  it  to  you,  his  written  list  of  the  names 
and  abbreviations  of  the  days  of  the  week,  so  as  to 
direct  his  attention  to  any  errors  that  may  have 
escaped  him,  and  to  secure  his  intelligent  correction 
of  these. 

IV  (146).     Original  Exercise  Involving  the  Writing  of 
the  Days  of  the  Week  in  Pull  and  Abbreviated 

Read  over  the  lesson  with  the  children.  To  pre- 
pare them  for  writing,  as  they  are  directed,  have 
them  tell  interesting  things  that  they  did  or  that 
happened  each  day.  Get  them  to  make  good,  short, 
complete  statements.  Insist  on  things  of  real  in- 
terest. Suggest  that  they  tell  of  things  that  their 
father  or  mother,  brother  or  sister,  or  a  friend,  if 
absent,  would  like  to  know,  —  things  that  the  absent 
one  would  like  to  have  written  to  him  in  a  letter; 
or  that  they  tell  things  that  they  would  like  to  do 
again,  or  that  they  would  like  to  have  happen  again. 

If  the  entire  exercise  —  the  oral  preparation,  the 
writing  and  correcting  —  is  likely  to  be  too  long  for 
a  single  lesson  period,  take  the  full  time  of  one 
period  for  the  oral  work  and  leave  the  written  exer- 
cise with  its  correction  for  a  second  period.  Have 
each  pupil  correct  his  own  work  under  your  direction. 
The  correcting  may  begin  as  soon  as  the  first  sen- 
tences are  written,  the  teacher  passing  about  among 
the  desks. 

Do  not  tell  a  pupil  what  his  mistake  is,  or  what 


A  STORY   FROM   A   RHYME  163 

the  correct  form  is  ;  give  him  just  enough  suggestion 
so  that  he  can  find  out  for  himself.  If  he  has  made 
a  mistake  in  writing  a  day,  such  as  forgetting  the 
initial  capital,  or  the  period  after  the  abbreviation, 
or  misspelling,  direct  his  attention  to  the  word;  if 
he  fails  to  discover  his  mistake  at  once,  let  him  look 
up  the  correct  form  in  one  of  the  type  exercises  in 
his  book. 

Supplementary  Work 

i.  Pupils  may  repeat  the  written  exercise  of  the 
lesson,  each  one  choosing  the  form  which  he  did 
not  choose  in  the  regular  exercise. 

2.  Let  pupils  copy  or  write  from  dictation  the 
following  rhyme : 

The  Seven  Days 

Monday  says,  "  I  wash  the  clothes." 
Tuesday  says,  "  I  iron  them." 
Wednesday  says,  "  I  bake  the  cakes." 
Thursday  says,  "  I  eat  them." 
Friday  says,  "  I  am  sweeping  day." 
Saturday  says,  "  The  children  love  me." 
Sunday  says,  "  I  am  the  Sabbath  day. 
There  is  no  day  above  me." 

V  (147).     A  Story  from  a  Rhyme;    the  Apostrophe  to 
Denote  Possession 

Read  the  story  with  the  children.  Let  them 
study  it  aloud  with  you,  so  that  you  may  see  that 
they  study  it  as  directed  in  their  book.     Have  them 


1 64  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

study  the  quotations  according  to  the  form  already 
given  them.  (Pupil's  book,  page  118.  See  also 
Manual,  page  141.) 

The  subject  of  possessives  will  be  taken  up  more 
fully  in  Section  VII.  What  is  said  here  about 
clock 's  will  serve  as  a  slight  foretaste.  The  state- 
ment of  the  use  of  the  apostrophe  and  the  letter  s, 
as  formally  given  in  the  pupils'  book  (p.  152),  should 
be  carefully  read  at  this  time ;  the  memorizing  of  it 
may  be  deferred  until  Section  VII. 

After  the  story  has  been  studied  as  directed,  have 
it  told  orally  by  several  children. 

Supplementary  Work 

i.  Have  pupils  copy  or  write  from  dictation  the 
story,  The  Mouse  and  the  Clock. 

2.  Let  pupils  study  the  rhyme  and  then  write  it 
from  memory. 

Before  a  pupil  begins  either  exercise  he  should 
have  a  definite  purpose  —  the  writing  of  the  rhyme 
or  story  correctly  in  all  details,  the  use  of  capitals, 
punctuation  and  quotation  marks,  and  spelling.  It 
is  not  enough  to  assume  that  pupils  know  why  they 
are  required  to  do  exercises  like  these.  With  this 
assumption  on  the  part  of  the  teacher,  pupils  will 
soon  be  doing  what  they  are  directed  to  do  with  no 
clearer  or  higher  purpose  than  that  of  doing  as  they 
are  told,  which  is  the  pupils*  counterpart  of  the 
teacher's  perfunctory  assignment  of  exercises  to  fill, 


SUPPLEMENTARY   WORK  165 

or  "kill"  time.  Exercises  which  grow  out  of  these 
vague,  purposeless  motives  on  the  part  of  teacher 
and  pupils  only  serve  to  develop  and  confirm  all 
sorts  of  errors ;  their  correction  is  only  a  further 
waste  of  time. 

In  every  least  exercise,  whether  regular  or  sup- 
plementary, have  a  definite,  worthy  purpose  in  giv- 
ing that  exercise,  and  make  sure  that  your  pupils 
know  that  purpose  at  the  outset  and  that  they  keep 
it  constantly  and  clearly  before  them  throughout 
the  exercise.  When  the  exercise  is  completed  it 
must  be  corrected  by  the  pupil  —  with  such  sugges- 
tion and  direction  as  may  be  necessary  from  the 
teacher  —  always  under  the  guidance  of  the  purpose 
with  which  it  was  written.  Has  that  purpose  been 
realized  ? 

There  is  here  a  bit  of  simple  but  profoundly  im- 
portant pedagogy.  Keen  interest  may  be  given  to 
the  dullest  exercise  by  making  of  it  a  direct  chal- 
lenge to  the  power  of  the  pupil.  Here  is  something 
for  you  to  do ;  these  are  the  conditions.  Can  you 
do  it?  Now  that  you  have  tried  it,  let  us  see 
whether  you  have  succeeded.  In  the  instinctive 
response  to  a  definite  challenge  lies  the  secret  of 
much  of  the  zest  with  which  many  games,  puzzles, 
and  physical  exercises  are  pursued.  Challenge  your 
pupil  effectively  and  he  concentrates  all  his  powers 
on  the  task  you  put  before  him  —  and  he  perseveres 
until  he  comes  off  victor. 


1 66  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

VI  (i5°)«     Reproducing'  a  Story  from  Different 
Standpoints 

This  exercise  consists  in  telling  the  story  of  the 
mouse  and  the  clock  —  the  subject  of  the  last  ex- 
ercise —  from  the  standpoint  of  several  different 
observers  or  participants,  as  the  little  mouse,  the 
big  mouse,  the  clock,  or  any  article  of  furniture  in 
the  hall  that  may  be  supposed  to  have  witnessed 
the  events  of  the  story.  The  exercise  thus  goes  a 
step  beyond  mere  reproduction  ;  it  calls  for  imagina- 
tion and  some  originality  of  conception  on  the  part 
of  the  pupil.  This  exercise  will  reveal  the  pupils 
customary  thought  processes  in  reproducing  a  story. 
The  pupil  whose  chief  reliance  is  on  memory  of 
words  will  find  this  exercise  very  difficult,  if  he 
does  not  make  complete  failure  of  it.  The  pupil, 
on  the  other  hand,  who  is  in  the  habit  of  grasping 
and  vividly  imagining  for  himself  the  scenes  and 
events  of  the  story,  and  of  relating  these  in  words 
of  his  own,  will  find  this  exercise  easy  and  highly 
interesting.  For  pupils  of  both  types  the  exercise, 
rightly  used,  will  prove  most  effective  in  giving  a 
ready  and  easy  command  of  thoughts  and  mental 
imagery,  in  accustoming  pupils  to  feel  and  to  see 
their  own  thoughts  and  mental  pictures  clearly,  to 
hold  these  before  their  minds  at  will,  to  turn 
thoughts  and  images  around,  to  vary  their  com- 
binations, to  look  at  them  from  different  stand- 
points, and  to  describe  them  as  they  see  them. 


REPRODUCING   A  STORY  167 

The  successful  conduct  of  this  exercise  will  de- 
pend, first  of  all,  upon  the  teacher's  ability  and 
facility  in  doing  what  the  exercise  demands.  You, 
the  teacher,  must  have  before  your  mind  a  vivid, 
clear-cut  mental  picture  of  a  hall  —  a  particular  hall 
that  you  know  or  that  you  have  seen  in  a  picture 
—  with  all  its  necessary  and  customary  furnishings 
and  adornments.  In  that  hall  you  must  be  able  to 
see  transpire  all  the  events  of  the  story.  You  must 
be  able  at  will  to  put  yourself  in  the  place  of  any  of 
the  actors  in  the  little  drama  or  of  any  of  the  pieces 
of  onlooking  furniture,  to  see,  to  feel,  and  to  describe 
everything  from  your  assumed  standpoint.  Only 
with  this  ability  can  you  hope  to  go  quickly  from 
one  child  to  another,  each  one  trying  to  tell  the 
story  from  the  standpoint  of  and  through  a  different 
character,  immediately  to  take  your  place  beside 
each  child,  to  lead  each  one  to  the  right  point  of 
view,  to  help  each  one  to  see  clearly  what  he  alone 
would  perhaps  see  but  dimly,  in  short,  by  your 
example  to  demonstrate  concretely  to  each  child 
what  it  is  to  see  and  to  tell  a  story  from  different 
standpoints.  Abstract  directions,  words  alone,  will 
not  do  this ;  if  you  rely  on  words,  you  need  expect 
to  get  nothing  better  than  words  in  return. 

The  best  preparation  you  can  make  for  this  exer- 
cise, and  you  should  not  hesitate  to  make  it,  is  to 
practice  seeing  and  describing  from  many  stand- 
points and  in  the  role  of  different  actors    and  ob- 


1 68  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

servers  the  hall  and  the  events  of  the  story.  This 
practice  will  make  you  realize  what  you  are  calling 
upon  the  pupils  to  do,  will  enable  you  to  assist  them 
sympathetically.  Just  as  you  have  done,  each  child 
must  get  and  hold  before  his  mind  a  clear-cut  pic- 
ture of  a  concrete  hall.  Has  he  one  at  home  ;  has 
he  seen  such  a  hall  in  some  house  where  he  has 
visited  ;  will  the  school  corridor  do  ?  Lest  some 
child  may  be  lacking  the  necessary  experience,  try 
to  have  at  hand  a  good  picture  of  a  hall  with  clock 
and  other  appropriate  furnishings. 

After  a  little  preliminary  talk  with  the  pupils  — 
not  too  much,  but  just  enough  to  give  each  one  the 
idea  of  what  is  required  and  to  arouse  interest  —  let 
the  written  exercise  begin.  Remember,  in  passing 
from  child  to  child,  the  most  delicate,  yet  the  most 
important  thing  for  you  to  observe  and  to  direct  is 
not  correctness  in  the  spelling  of  words  and  the  use 
of  marks  of  punctuation — of  course  these  are  not  to 
be  neglected — but  each  child's  assumed  point  of 
view,  his  mental  picture,  and  his  efforts  and  success 
in  seeing  and  describing  the  picture  and  events  in 
his  own  mind. 

The  same  thought  should  guide  you  in  directing 
the  correction  of  the  pupils'  stories.  The  exercise 
is  not  designed  to  teach  anything  new  in  form ;  it  is 
the  material,  the  handling  of  the  material,  that  is 
different  from  anything  previously  taught.  On  this 
phase  of  the  exercise  attention  should  be  chiefly  con- 


POSSESSIVES  169 

centrated,  without,  of  course,  overlooking  mistakes 
in  form.  As  in  all  other  correcting  exercises,  the 
pupil  must  be  helped  to  make  his  own  corrections. 
For  instance,  if  he  has  undertaken  to  tell  the  story 
from  the  standpoint  of  the  big  mouse,  and  has  told 
it  really  from  the  standpoint  of  the  moon  —  as  in  the 
original  —  he  has  evidently  failed  really  to  assume 
the  part  of  the  big  mouse,  to  enter  into  it  sympa- 
thetically. He  must  be  helped  to  do  this  ;  merely 
indicating  the  verbal  changes  that  should  be  made 
in  his  story  will  do  no  good  —  that  does  not  touch 
the  real  difficulty.  When  the  child  gets  into  the 
right  attitude,  he  will  see  for  himself  what  changes 
his  story  requires.  Probably  a  full  period  —  the  one 
following  that  of  the  writing  exercise — will  be  re- 
quired to  complete  the  correcting  of  the  stories. 
The  exercise  is  worth  the  double  period ;  the  cor- 
recting must  not  be  slighted. 

Supplementary  Work 

Exercises  6,  7,  and  8,  Chapter  Twelve,  furnish 
material  for  several  stories.  For  further  suggestions 
regarding  such  use  of  this  material,  see  pp.  264-266. 

VII  (151).     Possessives 

Study  this  lesson  with  the  pupils.  Have  them 
explain  all  the  possessives  in  the  story,  Toms  Escape, 
accounting  for  the  apostrophe  and  s  as  directed  in 
their  book.     If   thought  advisable,    they   may  also 


170  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

account  for  capitals  and  punctuation  used  in  the 
story.  The  written  part  of  the  exercise  should  be 
examined  as  written,  and  necessary  corrections  made 
at  once. 

Supplementary  Work 

Have  the  story,  Toms  Escape,  written  from  dic- 
tation. 

In  having  this  exercise  carefully  corrected,  as 
it  must  be  to  be  of  value,  require  pupils  invariably 
to  give  reasons  for  corrections  and  then  to  make 
them.  (See  pp.  48,  116,  117.)  To  illustrate,  sup- 
pose a  pupil  has  written  Toms  in  the  first  sentence. 
Direct  the  pupil's  attention  to  this  word.  If  he  does 
not  see  his  mistake  at  once,  ask,  "  What  belongs  to 
Tom  ?  "  (Pupil's  answer;  "  heart")  "  Then  if  Tom 
owns  or  possesses  something,  how  should  Toms  be 
written?"  (Pupil's  answer:  "There  should  be  an 
apostrophe  before  s,  because  Tom's  is  a  possessive.") 

VIII  (153).     Unstudied  Dictation 

Dictate  the  following  exercise.  It  will  test  the 
pupils'  power  to  write  the  possessive  form  correctly. 
It  will  also  review  the  writing  of  the  days  of  the 
week.  Have  pupils  correct  their  work  immedi- 
ately, giving  reasons  for  each  correction. 

Monday's  child  is  fair  of  face. 
Tuesday's  child  is  full  of  grace. 
Wednesday's  child  is  the  child  of  woe. 
Thursday's  child  has  far  to  go. 


STUDYING   A   POEM  171 

Friday's  child  is  loving  and  giving. 
Saturday's  child  works  hard  for  a  living. 
The  child  that  is  born  on  the  Sabbath  day 
Is  good  and  bonny  and  wise  and  gay. 


IX  (153).     Studying  a  Poem 

To  make  this  lesson  thoroughly  successful  and 
profitable  you  must  prepare  yourself  for  it.  You 
must  be  able  to  get  fully  into  the  spirit  of  it,  to  live 
through  with  the  little  boy  that  "awful  day"  when 
he  ran  away.  Read  it  over  and  over  —  not  merely 
the  words,  but  the  ideas  ;  feel  the  emotions,  stanza  by 
stanza ;  make  your  reading  express  those  emotions 
and  ideas.  Thus  you  will  prepare  yourself  to  guide 
your  pupils  sympathetically  in  the  reading  and 
study  of  the  poem. 

The  exercise  with  the  pupils  should  begin  with 
your  reading  of  the  poem.  This  should  be  so 
effective  that  the  attention  and  emotion  of  every 
child  is  seized  at  once,  held  and  led  along,  stanza 
by  stanza,  in  sympathy  with  the  changing  experi- 
ences of  the  little  boy.  In  the  first  stanza,  when 
the  wind  coaxes  the  little  boy,  he  makes  a  personal 
appeal ;  the  voice  should  express  this  appeal ;  the 
emphasis  should  be  on  the  personal  pronoun,  — 
"  Follow  me  /"  In  the  second  stanza  the  wind  has 
ceased  to  coax,  for  the  boy  is  already  won.  The 
wind  calls  to  him  gleefully  and  confidently,  as  to  a 
vigorous  comrade,  "  Follow  me,  follow  me  !  "     In  the 


172  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

third  stanza  the  rough,  violent  character  of  the 
wind  appears;  there  is  no  trace  of  coaxing  in  his 
voice ;  he  does  not  even  speak  as  a  comrade ;  he 
commands  sternly,  "Follow  me!"  The  emphasis 
—  and  it  is  very  decided  —  is  on  the  verb,  follow. 
As  the  echoing  voices  repeat,  "  Follow  him ;  fol- 
low ! "  the  second  follow,  in  imitation  of  the  echo, 
should  be  not  less  decided,  but  less  loud  than  the 
first.  In  the  fourth  stanza  the  violence  of  the  wind 
reaches  a  climax  as  he  roars,  "  Follow  me !  "  but  he 
is  now  only  one  of  the  terrifying  monsters  that  sur- 
round the  poor  "scared,  scared  boy";  there  is  the 
black  cloud  and  the  growling  thunder;  there  is 
the  hooting  gray  owl,  calling  out  to  the  boy,  de- 
manding who  he  is.  In  the  fifth  and  last  stanza 
the  scene  has  quite  changed ;  the  storm  has  passed ; 
the  wind,  the  black  cloud,  the  thunder,  the  hooting 
owl,  have  gone ;  the  gentle  moon  looks  down 
kindly  into  the  face  of  the  chastened  little  boy  and 
asks  him  if  he  is  sorry.  "  If  I  light  you  home  to 
your  trundle-bed,  will  you  stay  there,  will  you  stay, 
little  boy  ? "  she  asks  in  a  tone  that  every  repentant 
child  understands. 

Similarly,  trace  through  from  stanza  to  stanza 
the  change  in  tone  required  in  reading  the  two 
closing  lines  of  each  stanza.  In  the  first  and  sec- 
ond stanzas  there  is  a  certain  impressiveness  about 
"  that  day,  that  day " ;  it  is  evidently  no  ordinary 
day   to   be   lightly   forgotten ;    it    is    a   memorable 


STUDYING  A   POEM  173 

day,  but  the  reason  for  this  has  not  yet  been  re- 
vealed. We  await  expectantly  and  with  growing 
anxiety  the  revelation  concerning  that  memorable 
day.  The  third  stanza  discloses  the  true  character 
of  the  day ;  it  was  awful.  It  grew  more  and  more 
awful;  in  the  fourth  stanza  it  is  revealed  as  the 
most  awful,  dread  day  in  all  the  experience  of  one 
little  boy  —  a  day  that  will  forever  stand  out  with- 
out a  rival  as  the  dread  day  in  all  that  boy's  life. 
In  the  fifth  stanza,  "Oh,  what  a  day"  sums  up  the 
whole  experience  of  that  day  from  its  joyful  begin- 
ning, through  its  awful  developments,  to  its  repent- 
ant close.  The  reader  must  feel  all  these  changes, 
feel  them  through  and  through,  and  then  he  will 
readily  and  naturally  express  them  in  his  voice. 

The  rendering  of  the  words  of  the  thunder  and 
of  the  owl  must,  of  course,  be  imitative.  The 
thunder  growls  deep  and  long,  "  No-0-0-0 !  "  The 
owl  hoots,  "  Who  (are)  you-00 !  Who  (are)  you-oo!" 
The  sobbing  of  the  boy  as  he  says,  "  I'm  lost  away ! 
And  I  want  to  go  home  where  my  parents  stay," 
may  be  produced  by  taking  short,  quick  breaths. 

The  real  reading  of  this  poem  must  be  through 
the  feelings  far  more  than  through  the  intellect. 
The  purpose  in  studying  it,  as  directed  through  the 
questions  given  in  the  pupils'  book,  is  not  primarily 
that  the  pupil  may  get  a  mere  intellectual  under- 
standing of  the  poem ;  it  is  that  he  may  get  fully 
into  the  spirit  of  it,  that  he  may  feel  it.     The  ques- 


174  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

tions  and  the  answers  to  them  must  be  made  to 
serve  this  purpose,  or  the  exercise  will  be  a  failure. 
To  illustrate  with  some  of  the  questions  on  the  third 
stanza,  it  is  no  satisfactory  answer  to  the  second 
and  third  questions  merely  to  say  that  the  trees  do 
not  like  the  way  the  wind  treats  them,  and  that  the 
rivers  and  rills  are  mad ;  the  answers  must  be  given 
in  a  tone  to  express  the  pain  of  the  trees  with 
twisted  leaf  and  limb,  and  the  foaming  madness  of 
the  rivers  and  rills.  The  illustrative  reading  called 
for  in  the  course  of  the  questions  must  not  be  per- 
functory, it  must  express  fully  and  adequately — even 
sometimes  to  exaggeration  —  the  thought  and  feel- 
ing of  the  passage.  This  is  in  preparation  for  the 
expressive,  continuous  reading  of  the  poem. 

Although  the  poem  is  written  in  the  past  tense, 
most  of  the  questions  on  it  are  given  in  the  present 
tense.  This  adds  to  the  vividness,  the  reality  that 
must  be  produced  in  the  pupil's  mind.  He  cannot 
live  through  that  "  awful  day  "  with  the  little  boy  in 
the  past;  he  must  do  it  right  now. 

X  (159).     Dramatizing  the  Poem,  "When  the  Little 
Boy  Ran  Away" 

As  far  as  possible  the  children  should  make  their 
own  plans,  decide  upon  the  characters,  and  assign 
the  parts  for  the  dramatization  of  the  story.  It  may 
be  well  to  read  with  them  the  suggestions  and  ques- 
tions given  in  their  book,  Chapter  One  (p.  6),  in 


WRITING  A   DIALOGUE  175 

preparation  for  a  dramatization.  They  will  readily 
see  the  application  of  these  questions  and  sugges- 
tions to  the  present  undertaking. 

XI  (159).     Writing  a  Dialogue 

Before  the  children  begin  to  write,  make  sure  that 
they  understand  what  they  are  to  do.  Work  out 
some  of  the  dialogue  with  them  orally.  Let  them 
compare  the  beginning  sentences,  which  have  been 
supplied  them,  with  the  beginning  of  the  poem  and 
see  why  the  birds  and  the  boy  are  made  to  speak 
thus.  Let  them  give  orally,  under  your  guidance, 
the  exact  speech  of  several  of  the  characters,  as  out- 
lined in  blank  in  their  book.  See  that  they  use  the 
exact  words  of  the  poem  in  cases  where  the  charac- 
ter speaks  in  the  poem  ;  that  they  make  the  character 
speak  appropriately  in  cases  where  the  exact  words 
must  be  supplied.  They  must  not  be  told  what 
to  make  a  character  say;  they  must  be  helped,  when 
necessary,  to  "make  up"  themselves  the  words  that 
they  will  have  the  character  use.  For  example,  if 
they  are  trying  to  supply  the  last  speech  of  the  mother 
and  of  the  boy,  they  may  be  helped  in  this  way : 

Teacher :  What  did  his  mother  do? 

Pupils  :  She  welcomed  the  boy  home. 

Teacher :  What  did  she  say  to  show  that  she  was  glad  to  see 
him? 

Pupils :  I  am  so  glad  you  are  home  again. 

Teacher:  If  you  were  that  little  boy,  what  would  you  say  to 
your  mother? 


176  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

In  the  preliminary  class  work,  to  make  clear  to  all 
pupils  what  is  to  be  done  and  how  it  is  to  be  done, 
do  not  work  out  the  whole  dialogue.  If  you  do, 
there  will  be  too  much  sameness  in  the  pupils' 
written  work.  Leave  room  for  each  one's  original- 
ity; work  out  only  enough  of  the  parts  to  show 
how  it  is  to  be  done.  As  the  pupils  write,  help 
individually  by  question  or  suggestion  as  needed. 

The  exercise  should  be  carefully  corrected  at  this 
or  at  the  next  lesson.  The  correction  should  not 
be  limited  to  the  form.  The  appropriateness  of 
the  speeches  given  to  the  several  characters  should 
be  considered.  If  well  done,  the  dialogue  will  tell 
a  complete,  connected  story,  without  superfluous 
words  and  with  no  detail  necessary  to  its  under- 
standing omitted. 

Supplementary  Work 

Exercises  8,  10,  and  11,  Chapter  Twelve,  may  be 
written  in  dialogue  form. 

XII  (160).  Finishing  a  Story- 
Read  the  incomplete  story  with  the  pupils  as  it  is 
given  in  their  book.  Let  it  be  read  so  well  that 
every  one  will  get  into  the  spirit  of  it,  will  make  it 
his  own.  Unless  the  pupil  does  this,  he  will  be 
unable  to  continue  and  conclude  the  story  appro- 
priately. Do  not  talk  to  the  pupils  as  a  class  about 
the  details  of  the  ending  of  the  story;  that  will  pro- 


A  PICTURE   STORY  177 

duce  too  much  uniformity  in  results.  Seek  merely 
to  arouse  the  imagination  of  each  one,  so  that  each 
will  invent  for  himself  an  ending  that  he  thinks 
suitable. 

As  the  children  write,  go  about  among  them  and 
give  such  individual  hints  and  suggestions  as  may 
be  necessary.  Lead  them  to  see  that  the  story  is 
not  finished  by  merely  telling  what  the  boy  saw,  as 
"an  Indian,"  "a  bear,"  "his  father."  What  hap- 
pened then  ?  What  did  the  boy  do  ?  What  did  the 
do  ?  What  became  of  the  boy  ?  Some  con- 
versation may  well  be  introduced. 

The  endings,  if  really  original  and  individual, 
will  show  much  interesting  variety.  They  should 
be  read  and  discussed  —  criticized  —  by  the  class, 
and  the  best  ones  determined  upon. 

XIII  (162).     A  Picture  Story 

(Children  and  the  cave,  p.  163) 

The  outline  for  a  story  is  given  in  the  children's 
book.  After  making  sure  that  they  understand 
what  is  expected  of  them,  let  them  study  alone  the 
questions  and  suggestions  given  to  them.  After 
they  have  had  time  to  think  out  their  stories  have 
some  of  them  told  orally. 

Many  variations  from  the  outline  given  in  the 
pupils'  book  will  suggest  themselves,  variations 
which  will  work  out  into  very  different  stories. 
Following  are  a  few  of  the  possible  variations. 


1 78  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

i.  The  children  may  find  the  cave.  As  they  were  about  to 
enter,  perhaps  they  heard  a  noise  that  frightened  Gretchen  and 
made  her  pull  her  brother  back.  Perhaps  she  said,  "  That  cave 
may  be  the  home  of  a  savage  animal.  I'm  afraid."  Suppose  it 
was  a  wolfs  den.     How  might  the  dwarfs  help  the  children  ? 

Suppose  it  was  the  owl  that  screeched  and  frightened  the  chil- 
dren.    What  might  happen? 

Suppose  the  dwarfs  heard  Gretchen  say  the  cave  was  the  home 
of  a  savage  animal.  They  knew  it  was  their  home,  and  they  were 
sorry  for  the  little  girl.  What  might  they  say?  ("Don't  be 
afraid,  little  girl.  That  is  not  the  home  of  a  savage  animal.  It  is 
our  home.     Come  right  in.     No  one  shall  harm  you.") 

If  the  children  entered  the  cave,  what  would  they  see?  [A 
great  room  with  walls  of  rock,  lighted  by  what  ?  (A  fairy  ball  of 
crystal?  Many  fireflies?  Many  glowworms?  The  moon  shin- 
ing through  an  opening?  A  great  blazing  diamond?  A  wonder- 
ful star?)  In  the  corner  of  the  room  a  heap  of  shining  treasure 
that  the  dwarfs  had  gathered  —  gold,  silver,  diamonds,  emeralds, 
rubies,  etc.?] 

If  the  children  had  wandered  long  in  the  forest  they  would  be 
tired  and  hungry.  What  might  the  dwarfs  give  them  to  eat? 
(Things  found  in  the  woods  and  mountains  —  nuts,  berries,  fruits, 
clear  cool  water,  honey?)  What  kind  of  bed  might  they  give 
them?  (Birds'  feathers  gathered  by  the  dwarfs,  soft  moss,  thistle- 
down, rose  leaves?) 

Next  morning  would  the  dwarfs  show  the  children  the  way 
home? 

Fairies  usually  give  gifts  to  those  who  visit  them.  What  gifts 
might  the  dwarfs  give  the  children  as  they  were  leaving? 

2.  The  children  may  be  poor  and  come  to  the  forest  to  ask 
the  dwarfs  to  help  them,  knowing  that  the  dwarfs  have  great 
treasure.  They  can  only  see  the  dwarfs  at  night  when  the  moon 
is  full.     Hence  their  reason  for  being  in  the  wood  alone  at  night. 

How  might  the  owl  have  helped  them?  (Led  them  to  the 
dwarfs'  cave?     Called  the  dwarfs  to  see  them?) 


SUPPLEMENTARY   WORK 


179 


Maybe  the  owl  was  the  dwarfs'  sentinel,  keeping  watch  over  the 
cave  while  the  dwarfs  worked.  Perhaps  he  challenged  the  chil- 
dren, calling,  "Who?  Who?  Who  goes  there?"  This  brought 
the  dwarfs  up  from  the  ground. 

See  the  face  on  the  tree  over  the  cave.  Perhaps  the  dwarfs 
had  it  to  frighten  people  from  the  cave. 

The  children  were  brave  and  loving.  Did  the  dwarfs  help 
them?     Finish  the  story. 

3.  The  dwarfs  might  give  the  children  some  task  to  do,  the 
faithful  performance  of  which  would  determine  whether  or  not 
they  would  help  the  children.  What  task  —  sorting  out  the 
precious  stones  without  taking  one,  gathering  dewdrops  in  tiny 
cups,  going  through  the  forest  seeking  creatures  that  needed  their 
help  and  giving  it  gladly,  Gretchen  to  make  or  mend  clothes  for 
the  dwarfs  or  clean  house,  while  Hans  carried  treasure  into  the 
cave?  How  did  the  children  perform  their  tasks?  Did  they  get 
what  they  wanted? 

Supplementary  Work 

1.  This  story  gives  excellent  material  for  dram- 
atizing. Let  the  children  plan  and  carry  out  the 
dramatization  with  as  little  help  and  suggestion  as 
possible.     (See  p.  149.) 

2.  Let  the  little  boy  tell  the  story  of  his  ex- 
periences. 

3.  Let  the  little  girl  tell  her  story. 

4.  Have  the  children  make  other  stories  of  selfish 
boys  or  girls  who  saw  the  treasure  that  Hans  and 
Gretchen  brought  from  the  forest  and  went  to  see 
the  dwarfs.  As  these  children  were  selfish,  lazy,  and 
cruel,  did  the  dwarfs  give  any  help  ?  What  did  they 
do? 


180  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

XIV  (165).     Writing  a  Story 

Before  allowing  the  children  to  write  answers  to 
the  questions  given  in  their  books,  have  them  answer 
the  questions  orally  in  complete  statements  that 
will  make  a  connected  whole.  This  does  not  mean 
that  each  question  should  be  answered  by  one  state- 
ment. For  example,  the  third  question  from  the 
end,  "  What  did  these  people  do  for  them  ?  "  may  be 
answered  completely  with  one  sentence,  or  several 
sentences  may  be  used.  For  instance,  the  answer 
may  be:  "The  dwarfs  let  the  children  stay  in  their 
cave  all  night."  Or  it  may  be :  "  The  dwarfs  took 
the  children  into  their  cave.  They  showed  them 
all  their  treasure.  After  they  had  given  the  children 
something  to  eat,  they  showed  them  two  little  beds. 
Here  the  children  slept  until  morning." 

XV  (165).     More  Picture  Stories 

(The  child  and  the  brownie,  p.  166.) 

The  center  of  interest  in  this  story  is  in  the  con- 
tents of  the  casket.  What  gift  does  it  hold?  A 
fairy  gift  must  be  different  from  ordinary  gifts.  It 
may  be : 

1.  Money  —  money  that  never  gives  out. 

2.  A  purse  —  one  that  will  never  be  empty. 

3.  Shoes  or  any  clothing  —  that  will  never  wear  out. 

4.  Food  —  always  a  fresh  supply. 

5.  A  magic  tablecloth.       (Say,  "Spread,"   and  a  dainty  re- 
past will  be  ready ;  "  Away,"  and  it  will  fold  itself  inside  the  box.) 


MORE  PICTURE  STORIES  181 

6.  A  bottle  of  magic  water  that  will  make  the  sick  well,  the 
sad  happy,  the  sorrowful  glad. 

7.  A  fairy  ring.  (Turn  ring  and  wish;  if  the  wish  is  good 
it  will  come  true ;  if  foolish,  ring  will  tighten  on  finger ;  if  bad, 
ring  will  fall  from  the  hand  and  roll  away.) 

8.  A  fairy  wand. 

9.  A  wishing  airship  —  one  that  takes  a  person  wherever  he 
wishes  to  go. 

10.  A  bird  that  makes  the  most  wonderful  music  —  music 
that  makes  every  one  who  hears  it  happy. 

n.  A  cloak  or  hat  that  makes  one  invisible. 

12.  A  magic  sword. 

13.  A  key  that  will  open  all  doors. 

14.  A  spinning  wheel  that  spins  threads  of  gold. 

15.  A  tiny  tree  that  bears  a  golden  acorn  every  day. 

16.  A  magic  seed  from  which  grows  a  wonderful  plant. 

The  above  are  a  few  of  the  gifts  that  children 
have  found  in  the  casket.  Your  children  will  find 
others,  as  well  as,  perhaps,  some  of  these. 

The  gift  and  the  use  that  can  be  made  of  it,  the 
use  that  the  child  and  her  mother  do  make  of  it,  will 
determine  the  ending  of  the  story. 

For  supplementary  work  the  children  can  make 
other  stories  telling  what  the  child  did  with  her 
gift. 

The  questions  in  the  children's  book  suggest 
varied  answers  which  they  should  be  encouraged  to 
give.  Let  them  study  the  lesson  by  themselves  in 
preparation  for  the  oral  telling  of  the  story ;  you 
need  help  them  only  in  selecting  a  suitable  fairy 
gift. 


182  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

XVI  (169).     Writing  Stories 

Have  children  finish  the  story  orally  before  writ- 
ing the  ending.  Let  each  child  choose  for  himself 
the  story,  as  begun  in  his  book,  which  he  will  finish  ; 
or  let  any  one  who  will,  write  a  complete  story  from 
the  beginning. 

XVII  (170).     A  Fairy  Wish 

Let  the  children  write  the  answer  to  the  question 
of  the  lesson  entirely  without  help.  Have  a  few  of 
their  papers  read,  compared,  and  discussed  by  the 
children. 

The  comparison  and  discussion  should  be  so 
directed  as  to  bring  out  the  merits  of  the  papers, 
particularly  respecting  the  wisdom  and  originality 
of  the  wish. 

Supplementary  Work 

Have  each  child  find  a  picture  that  tells  a  story  — 
that  tells  a  story  to  him.  Most  pupils  will  bring  a 
picture  from  home.  Some  through  carelessness, 
indifference,  or  on  account  of  home  conditions  will 
fail  to  bring  any.  Therefore,  the  teacher,  with  the 
help  of  those  who  can  get  a  supply  at  home,  should 
make  a  collection  of  pictures  and  keep  them  in  a 
box  or  a  drawer  that  is  easily  accessible  to  the  chil- 
dren. Good  pictures  can  be  found  in  magazines, 
old  copies  of  which  can   often  be  procured  at  the 


SUPPLEMENTARY  WORK  183 

reading  rooms  of  public  libraries.  Some  advertise- 
ments are  good. 

Tell  the  children,  the  day  before  the  lesson  is  to  be 
given,  that  they  are  to  come  with  a  picture  that  tells 
them  a  story  and  that  each  may  show  his  picture  to 
the  class  and  tell  the  children  the  story  he  finds  in 
it.  Let  those  who  cannot  get  a  picture  at  home,  or 
who  have  failed  to  bring  one,  select  one  from  the 
teacher's  collection.  Do  not  select  a  picture  for  a 
child ;  let  the  child  choose  one  that  speaks  to  him. 

Let  children  tell  their  stories,  helping  them  to 
get  them  into  good  form.  Then  have  them  write 
the  stories  and  mount  their  pictures  on  their  cor- 
rected, copied  papers. 


CHAPTER    EIGHT 

A  study  of  the  work  of  this  chapter,  which  should 
be  made  before  taking  it  up  with  the  children,  will 
show  that  it  involves  the  continued  use  in  varied 
ways  of  all  the  knowledge  and  power  that  pupils 
have  acquired  in  their  previous  work. 

Its  one  large  step  in  advance  —  and  it  is  a  most  signifi- 
cant one — consists  in  the  critical  analysis  and  study  of 
typical  fables  to  learn  their  nature,  content,  purpose,  and 
the  way  they  are  made. 

This  study  serves  as  the  basis  of  the  children's 
first  efforts  at  making  original  fables. 

1(171).     A  Study  of  Fables 

The  most  fundamental  thing  in  the  teaching  of 
language  is  not  form,  but  material.  The  pupils 
mind  must  be  richly  stored,  not  with  material  that 
is  foreign,  that  he  carries  about  with  him  undigested 
as  a  burden,  but  with  material  that  he  has  assimi- 
lated, that  has  become  a  part  of  his  very  life.  The 
mental  life  of  the  child,  if  it  is  to  grow  rich  and 
deep,  broad  and  strong,  craves  and  must  be  pro- 
vided with  material  of  greatest  variety ;  it  needs  the 
concrete  facts  of  observation;    it   needs  the   ideas 

184 


A  STUDY  OF   FABLES  185 

that  are  born  of  the  comparison  of  facts ;  it  needs 
equally  the  fanciful,  poetic,  mysterious,  magic,  won- 
derful ideas  that  feed  the  imagination ;  it  needs  no 
less  the  varied  stimuli  that  exercise  and  develop  the 
feelings,  the  emotions,  and  the  will. 

Fables,  the  earliest  form  of  literature  originating 
in  the  childhood  of  the  race,  never  fail  to  interest 
the  children  of  all  races  and  of  every  succeeding 
generation.  Some  of  their  most  obvious  character- 
istics which  make  them  universally  interesting  are 
these:  they  are  concrete;  they  are  brief;  they  are 
easily  and  fully  comprehensible ;  they  are  pointed  ; 
they  deal  with  those  elementary,  universal  notions 
and  feelings  of  right  and  wrong,  of  justice,  of  sim- 
ple wisdom  and  shrewdness,  on  which  our  civilized 
life  has  been  built  up ;  they  teach  an  easily  under- 
stood lesson  with  almost  the  force  and  conviction 
of  a  personal  experience.  On  account  of  these 
characteristics,  which  are  within  the  ready  recogni- 
tion of  the  eight-  or  nine-year-old  child,  and  on 
account  of  the  interest  which  they  invariably  arouse, 
fables  form  the  best  avenue  of  approach  to  the  prac- 
tical understanding  of  the  production  of  real  litera- 
ture ;  they  afford  the  best  early  lessons  for  the 
child  —  as  they  have  already  done  for  the  race  — 
in  producing  real  literature.  With  such  initiation 
into  the  simple  secrets  of  the  construction  of  fables 
as  the  first  and  succeeding  lessons  of  this  chapter 
in  the  pupils'  book  give,  children   readily  become 


186  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

eager  to  try  their  hands  at  the  writing  of  fables. 
And  when  they  really  succeed,  as  almost  all  chil- 
dren can,  in  writing  very  creditable  fables,  often- 
times fables  that  will  bear  favorable  comparison 
with  the  classic  ones  of  the  books,  it  is  an  invaluable 
experience  for  them,  a  wonderful  achievement  in 
the  process  of  learning  really  to  use  ideas  and  lan- 
guage in  the  creation  of  literature.  They  begin  to 
see  what  real  use  they  can  make  of  language.  They 
are  invariably  enthusiastic  in  the  use  of  their  new- 
born power  —  they  want  to  write  fables  and  still 
more  fables,  to  make  whole  books  of  fables. 

This  is  the  teacher's  opportunity  not  merely  to 
train  the  pupil  in  the  effective  expression  of  his  own 
ideas,  but  equally  in  the  use  of  correct  form.  How? 
Very  easily.  First  of  all,  enter  heartily  into  the 
enthusiasm  of  your  pupils.  They  want  to  write 
fables;  you  must  want  them  to  write  fables. 
They  want  to  make  books  of  fables  —  class  books, 
group  books,  individual  books ;  you  want  them 
to  make  such  books.  They  want  to  write  fables 
as  good  as,  or  better  than,  the  printed  fables  in 
their  books;  you  want  them  to  write  such  superior 
fables.  And  all  that  you  have  to  do  is  to  help 
them  and  guide  them  sympathetically,  apprecia- 
tively, in  their  efforts.  It  will  not  now  be  neces- 
sary to  beat  into  them  with  endless  repetitions  a 
few  correct  language  forms  and  a  few  words  for 
the  enrichment  of  their  vocabularies ;  they  are  in  a 


A  STUDY  OF  FABLES  187 

position  to  appreciate  the  value  of  correct  forms  and 
of  appropriate  words  ;  they  want  to  know  what  such 
forms  and  words  are  because  they  want  to  use 
them ;  they  want  them  for  what  they  really  are  — 
they  want  them  as  means  to  an  end  in  which  they 
are  interested.  A  single  use  of  a  language  form  or 
of  a  new  word  under  such  conditions  is  more  effec- 
tive than  scores  of  formal,  uninteresting  repetitions. 
Similarly,  information  that  the  pupil  needs  to  use  — 
and  no  little  information  is  necessary  to  the  writing 
of  good  fables  —  is  grasped  and  assimilated  through 
use  most  effectively. 

After  you  have  helped  your  children  sympatheti- 
cally to  study  the  first  lesson  in  their  books,  to  which 
two  periods  may  well  be  devoted,  they  should  under- 
stand at  least  these  three  simple  characteristics  of 
fables,  that  usually  they  are  short  stories,  that  they 
are  about  animals,  and  that  each  teaches  some  lesson 
about  conduct.  It  may  be  of  interest  to  them  to 
know  the  probable  reason  why  fables  are  usually 
about  animals. 

In  the  long  ago  when  fables  originated,  men  lived 
in  much  closer  relations  to  the  various  beasts  of 
forest  and  field  than  they  do  to-day ;  they  knew  the 
beasts  then  —  knew  them  as  friends,  enemies,  rivals 
—  much  more  intimately  than  we  do  to-day.  They 
were  impressed  with  the  peculiarities  of  the  different 
beasts,  the  busyness  of  the  bee,  the  slyness  of  the  fox, 
the  boldness  of  the  lion,  the  timidity  and  fleetness  of 


188  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

the  deer ;  they  spoke  of  these  peculiarities,  exagger- 
ated them,  and  told  stories  illustrating  them.  These 
stories  were  the  early  fables.  Later  fables,  based  on 
the  older  ones,  continued  to  use  animals  as  their 
chief  characters. 

The  lessons  of  some  fables  are  not  easy  to  state. 
Hence  the  first  ones  chosen  for  study  with  the  children 
should  teach  lessons  not  too  difficult  to  formulate  in 
words.  The  keenest  insight  and  the  most  skillful 
work  of  the  teacher  is  required  at  this  point.  She 
must  help  her  pupils  to  see,  to  understand  and  to 
feel  the  lesson,  and  she  must  help  them  to  express 
it  effectively  in  good  language.  Such  help  does  not 
consist  in  telling  them  what  the  lesson  is  ;  if  trrey 
cannot  be  led  to  grasp  it  without  telling,  they  can 
hardly  understand  the  telling  of  it.  No  more  does 
such  help  consist  in  formulating  the  lesson  for  them 
in  language.  The  skillful  help  demanded  consists 
here  —  as  almost  everywhere  else  —  in  getting  the 
pupil  to  do  all  he  possibly  can  for  himself  and  in 
doing  the  least  that  will  suffice  for  him.  He  must 
think  for  himself  — and  think  earnestly  —  what  the 
lesson  of  a  fable  is,  he  must  summon  the  best  lan- 
guage at  his  command  in  his  effort  to  express  that 
lesson.  When  he  has  done  this,  he  is  in  the  best 
possible  condition  to  appreciate  the  bit  of  help  that 
the  teacher  may  give,  to  receive  and  make  his  own 
the  word  or  turn  of  phrase  that  the  teacher  may 
suggest. 


THE   FABLE   ABOUT   THE   WISE   BOAR  189 

You  will  note  that  the  grasp  of  the  lesson  of  a 
fable  consists  in  seeing  a  general  truth  in  a  concrete 
embodiment  —  a  mental  process  of  some  difficulty, 
but  a  process  which  is  fundamental  to  growth  in 
mental  power,  in  capacity  to  think.  Hence,  in  the 
study  of  fables  as  here  suggested,  the  child  is  not 
merely  learning  words  and  the  correct  use  of  them 
in  writing,  he  is  not  merely  "making  up  "  stories,  an 
exercise  that  narrow,  shortsighted,  falsely  self-styled 
"practical  3S  people  are  inclined  to  disapprove,  he  is 
developing  mental  fiber  and  alertness,  he  is  using  and 
so  strengthening  his  power  to  think,  an  exercise  that 
too  many  pupils  in  all  grades  of  schools  —  for  reasons 
that  cannot  be  here  discussed  —  altogether  miss. 

Most  of  the  fables  whose  lessons  the  pupils  are 
asked  in  their  book  to  state  have  already  been  given 
and  studied.  Any  that  they  may  not  have  clearly 
in  mind  should  be  told,  either  by  you  or  by  pupils 
who  are  familiar  with  them. 

Supplementary  Work 
Have  pupils  read  fables  numbered  1,  2,  3,  10,  and 
11,  in  Chapter  Twelve  (p.  276),  and  try  to  tell  the 
lesson  that  each  one  teaches. 

II  (174).     The  Study  of  the  Fable,  "The  Wise  Boar" 

In  this  and  similar  study  lessons  the  teacher 
should  conduct  the  work  in  a  way  to  enlist  the 
active  attention   and    effort  of   every  child  and   to 


i9o  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

accomplish  the  most  possible  in  a  given  time.  This 
means  not  merely  efficiency  in  the  study  of  a  given 
lesson,  but,  what  is  more  important,  it  means  prac- 
tice in  forming  the  habit  in  every  pupil  of  concen- 
tration and  efficient  work.  It  is  not  usually  consist- 
ent with  efficient  treatment  of  a  study  exercise  like 
the  one  under  discussion  to  allow  one  child  to  answer 
questions  at  length,  for  instance  all  questions  on  a 
topic.  It  is  far  better  to  have  a  large  number  of 
children  answer  a  question  each  and  in  order.  For 
example,  the  study  of  the  second  paragraph  of  the 
fable,  The  Wise  Boar  (p.  176),  might  well  be  some- 
thing like  this. 

First  Pupil :  Reads  paragraph. 

Second  Pupil :  Tells  number  of  sentences  in  it. 

Third  Pupil:  Tells  why  A  is  a  capital  letter. 

Fourth  Pupil :  Tells  why  the  comma  is  used. 

Fifth  Pupil:  Tells  where  and  why  quotation  marks  are  used. 

Sixth  Pupil:  Tells  why  Why  begins  with  a  capital  letter. 

Seventh  Pupil:  Tells  where  and  why  the  question  mark  is  used. 

Eighth  Pupil:  Tells  why  There  begins  with  a  capital  letter. 

Ninth  Pupil:  Tells  where  and  why  the  period  is  used. 

Here  nine  children  take  part  in  the  recitation, 
and  it  should  not  consume  more  than  two  or  three 
minutes.  Not  a  moment  should  be  wasted  by  the 
teacher  in  unnecessary  talk  or  comment.  If  the 
pupils  are  allowed  to  recite  in  order,  standing  a  row 
at  a  time,  it  will  be  quite  unnecessary  to  call  them 
by  name  and  still  more  unnecessary  to  deliberate 
about  who  shall  be  called  upon. 


TELLING   ORIGINAL   FABLES  191 

III  (176).     Writing  a  Fable  from  Dictation 

Without  further  study  dictate  the  fable,  The  Wise 
Boar.  The  purpose  of  this  dictation  is  to  fix  the 
model  form  of  a  fable  in  preparation  for  the  telling 
and  writing  of  original  fables  which  are  called  for  in 
following  lessons. 

In  correcting  their  papers  with  the  pupils  — 
which  should  immediately  follow  the  dictation  — 
pay  especial  attention  to  the  mechanical  arrange- 
ment of  their  work. 

Keep  pupils'  papers  until  after  Section  V,  then 
put  the  papers  of  the  two  lessons  together. 

IV  (176).     Telling  Original  Fables 

See  that  the  children  understand  what  is  ex- 
pected of  them.  Do  not  approve  or  even  allow  to 
pass  a  fable  that  does  not  teach  the  same  lesson  that 
the  model  fable  teaches ;  the  offering  of  such  a 
fable  indicates  that  its  author  does  not  fully  under- 
stand the  model  fable  and  what  is  expected  of  him. 

Encourage  the  children  to  model  their  fables  as 
closely  as  they  can  on  the  type  fable.  Make  the 
exercise  alive ;  see  that  every  one  is  wide  awake  and 
thinking  earnestly  and  quickly.  As  pupils  are 
ready,  have  them  tell  their  fables  in  rapid  succes- 
sion ;  a  dozen  may  be  told  in  a  few  minutes.  Let 
each  child,  when  he  tells  his  fable,  come  to  the  front 
of  the  room,  face  the  class,  and  speak  distinctly  and 
loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  all. 


192  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

Keep  the  children's  fables  brief;  allow  the  use  of 
no  more  words  than  are  needed  to  tell  the  story. 
Stop  at  once  all  such  verbose  utterances  as  this: 
"Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  little  boy.  He  was 
sharpening  his  skates.  It  was  a  rainy  day  and  he 
could  not  go  skating."  If  the  pupil  reciting  does 
not  at  once  see  the  mistake  he  is  making,  refer  him 
to  the  opening  sentences  of  The  Wise  Boar  and  The 
Fisherman  and  His  Nets,  Let  him  study  these 
carefully  until  he  is  able  to  put  his  three  wordy  sen- 
tences into  one,  about  like  this :  "  One  rainy  day  a 
boy  was  sharpening  his  skates." 

V  ( 1 79).    Writing  an  Original  Fable 

See  that  the  pupils  do  exactly  as  directed  in  their 
book. 

There  are  many  characteristics  of  a  lesson  like 
this  which  make  it  admirably  adapted  to  fourth- 
grade  pupils.  The  requirements  are  definite  and 
easily  understood.  They  have  a  model  to  lean  upon 
and  to  imitate ;  at  the  same  time  there  is  demand 
for  a  little  originality,  a  little  invention,  and  oppor- 
tunity for  considerable.  Thus,  while  the  exercise  is 
within  the  capacity  of  the  slowest,  most  common- 
place mind,  it  invites  the  fullest  use  of  the  quickest 
and  the  most  original  thought.  Finally,  the  exercise 
is  brief,  must  be  brief  to  be  good,  and  so  can  be 
completed  and  corrected  in  a  short  time. 


SUPPLEMENTARY  WORK  193 

The  correcting  should  be  most  conscientiously 
done ;  it  is  in  the  correcting  that  the  pupil  learns 
what  he  did  not  know  before.  See  that  each  pupil 
does  as  directed  before  offering  his  fable  to  you  for 
your  judgment  and  assistance,  that  is,  that  he  study 
it  carefully  by  himself  and  make  such  improvements 
in  it  as  he  can.  In  your  correcting  of  the  fables  with 
the  children,  direct  attention  not  merely  to  the  words 
and  forms,  but  especially  to  the  thought  and  the  more 
general  method  of  its  expression.  Is  the  thought 
clear  and  logical,  and  so  expressed  ?  Does  the  fable 
teach  the  desired  lesson  clearly  and  pointedly  ?  Is 
every  thought  expressed  wholly  relevant  ?  Is  it  ex- 
pressed in  the  most  concise, .  effective  paragraphs, 
sentences,  and  words  that  the  author  can  use  ? 

In  trying  to  get  pupils  to  correct  such  defects  as 
these  questions  suggest,  it  will  do  no  good  to  talk 
to  them  in  the  abstract  terms  in  which  these  ques- 
tions are  expressed ;  they  cannot  understand  such 
language.  Simply  refer  them  to  the  type  fables; 
direct  their  attention  to  the  characteristics  of  the 
type  fables  which  their  fables  lack ;  then  they  can 
understand,  for  you  bring  the  matter  to  them  in  the 
concrete. 

Supplementary  Work 

I.  Pupils  may  write  one  or  more  additional  fables 
teaching  the  same  lesson  as  those  already  studied 
and  written.  Each  one  may  take  for  his  title  one 
of  the  subjects  given  (p.  1  j8),  or  an  original  subject. 


194  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

Probably  many  pupils  in  the  class,  with  a  little  en- 
couragement, will  voluntarily  write  a  considerable 
number  of  fables  outside  of  school. 

2.  With  fable  No.  10,  Chapter  Twelve,  as  a 
model,  children  may  write  original  fables  teaching 
the  same  lesson  as  that  taught  by  The  Wolf  arid 
the  Goat.     (See  Manual,  p.  267.) 

3.  Let  pupils  write  as  many  titles  as  they  can  on 
which  they  think  fables  might  be  written,  teaching 
the  same  lesson  as  The  Wise  Boar  teaches. 

VI  (180).     The  Wise  Judge:  A  Story  to  be  Read  and 

Studied 

Read  the  story  through  with  the  children.  In 
the  suggested  conversation  and  discussion  that  is  to 
follow,  encourage  the  children  to  speculate  freely, 
but  intelligently,  regarding  the  judge's  acts  and 
motives  —  a  splendid  opportunity  for  the  exercise  of 
intelligent  imagination.  Perhaps  the  judge  was 
familiar  with  the  goldsmith's  shop,  knew  that  the 
ceiling  was  low  and  covered  with  dust  and  cobwebs, 
and  hence  surmised  that  the  thief  would  probably 
brush  off  some  on  his  fez.  Perhaps  the  judge  had 
visited  the  shop  during  the  day,  had  seen  a  place 
where  the  dust  and  cobwebs  had  been  recently 
brushed  away  and  guessed  that  it  was  done  by  the 
thief.  Perhaps  he  suspected  who  the  thief  was  and 
took  this  means  of  making  sure.  Possibly  he  even 
knew  the  thief  all  the  time  and  acted  and  talked  as 


DRAMATIZING    "THE   WISE  JUDGE"  195 

he  did  merely  to  impress  the  people  with  his  wis- 
dom. Perhaps  he  knew  nothing  about  the  thief,  or 
dust  and  cobwebs ;  perhaps  no  one  had  cobwebs  on 
his  fez ;  perhaps  the  guilty  one  instinctively  tried  — 
as  the  shrewd  judge  hoped  he  would  do  —  to  remove 
from  his  fez  the  suggested  evidence. of  his  guilt. 
Perhaps  —  but  the  children,  with  encouragement 
and  skillful  suggestion,  will  offer  an  indefinite  num- 
ber of  possible  explanations. 

See  that  the  pupils  understand  what  is  meant  by 
the  word  fez,  then  see  that  they  use  it  freely  in 
conversation  and  in  dramatizing. 

Let  children  study  alone  the  questions  and  sug- 
gestions in  preparation  for  the  dramatizing.  But  if 
you  can  give  a  few  minutes  to  it  just  before  the 
actual  dramatizing,  let  different  children  tell  what 
might  be  the  words  used  by  the  thief,  the  judge,  and 
the  people  in  those  places  where  these  must  be  sup- 
plied by  the  pupil. 

VII  (185).     Dramatizing  "The  Wise  Judge" 

Preliminary  to  the  actual,  free  dramatizing  of  the 
story,  read  it  through  with  the  children,  you  or 
one  of  the  pupils  reading  the  narrative  parts  while 
pupils,  as  directed,  read  the  conversational  parts. 
As  these  pupils  read,  let  them  dramatize  with 
books  in  their  hands,  moving  from  place  to  place  as 
the  action  requires,  making  appropriate  gestures 
and  reading  from  their  books. 


196  TFACHER'S  MANUAL 

Let  the  pupils  now  choose  the  actors  for  the  sev- 
eral parts  and  carry  out  the  dramatization  freely 
with  as  little  help  from  you  as  possible.  After  their 
production  has  been  discussed  and  improvements 
suggested,  let  other  pupils  dramatize  the  story  again, 
trying  to  make  the  suggested  improvements. 

Supplementary  Work 
Let  the  story  be  reproduced  orally. 

VIII  (185).     Study  of  a  Fable  in  Dialogue  Form 

Study  this  story  with  the  children.  Aim  to 
secure  from  them  concise,  connected,  relevant  state- 
ments, each  one  advancing  the  story  toward  its 
climax  and  completion.  This  will  make  the  whole 
story  brief,  as  it  should  be. 

Use  the  word  parenthesis,  that  is  introduced  into 
the  pupils'  book,  freely  as  occasion  requires,  and  see 
that  the  children  use  it.  In  this  way  they  will 
quickly  learn  without  formal  lesson  or  definition 
what  the  parenthesis  is  and  its  use.  See  what  is 
said  about  the  use  of  the  terms  sentence  (p.  47)  and 
paragraph  (p.  159). 

After  the  children  have  worked  out  and  told  the 
story  under  your  guidance,  tell  it  to  them  yourself, 
carefully  observing  the  characteristics  that  you  have 
been  working  for  —  conciseness,  brevity,  point. 
Your  story  may  be  something  like  this: 


WRITING  A  STORY  FROM  A  DIALOGUE  197 

The  Man  and  the  Satyr 

One  night  a  man  who  was  lost  in  the  woods  found  the  cave  of 
a  satyr. 

"  I  am  cold  and  hungry,"  he  said.  "  May  I  rest  here  for  the 
night?  " 

"  Come  right  in,"  said  the  satyr.     "  You  are  welcome." 

The  man  entered  the  cave.  As  his  fingers  were  still  numb 
with  the  cold,  he  blew  upon  them  with  his  warm  breath. 

"  Why  do  you  do  that?  "  asked  the  satyr. 

"To  warm  my  fingers,"  answered  the  man. 

Soon  the  satyr  gave  the  man  some  broth.  As  the  broth  was 
very  hot,  the  man  took  some  up  in  his  spoon  and  blew  upon  it. 

"Why  do  you  do  that?"  asked  the  satyr.  "Is  the  broth  too 
cold?" 

"  It  is  too  hot  and  I  am  cooling  it,"  replied  the  man. 

"  Get  out  of  my  cave  at  once,"  cried  the  satyr.  "  I  will  have 
no  man  here  who  blows  hot  and  cold  with  the  same  breath." 

So  saying,  he  drove  the  man  out  into  the  night. 

Supplementary  Work 

Let  the  children  turn  Exercise  7,  Chapter  Twelve, 
into  narrative  form  (p.  265). 

IX  (188).     Writing  a  Story  from  a  Dialogue 

As  soon  as  children  begin  writing,  pass  from  desk 
to  desk  and  see  that  each  one  is  doing  as  his  book 
directs.  Be  particularly  careful  to  see  that  they  are 
stopping  at  the  end  of  each  sentence  to  ask  them- 
selves the  question  that  their  book  tells  them  to  ask. 
This  is  most  important.  In  asking  themselves  this 
question  they  are  not  only  drilling  themselves  most 


198  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

effectively  in  the  correct  writing  of  quotations ;  they 
are  also  learning  to  write  consciously  in  sentences, 
getting  the  feeling  for  the  sentence,  the  sentence 
sense. 

X  (188).     Picture  Stories 

(The  three  doors,  p.  189) 

Let  the  children  study  the  lesson  in  their  books 
and  write  the  part  under  (i)  before  discussing  the 
picture  or  story  with  them.  Have  their  papers  read 
and  discussed.  Which  are  best?  (Those  that  are 
most  convincing,  most  reasonable.)  Talk  over- 
other  ways  of  setting  the  princess  free  —  ways  that 
may  be  suggested  by  pupils'  papers  or  that  may 
have  occurred  to  you.  The  following  ideas  may  be 
suggestive. 

1.  On  the  way  to  the  doors  the  prince  may  have  turned  aside 
to  spare  some  tiny  insect,  who,  to  repay  him  for  his  kindness, 
discovers  the  right  room  for  him,  either  by  creeping  through 
keyholes  or  crevices  of  doors,  or  by  calling  to  his  relatives,  the 
poisonous  insects,  to  give  him  the  information. 

2.  The  prince  may  open  the  door  into  the  lion's  den.  The 
huge  beast  may  spring  toward  him,  —  but  stop  to  lick  his  feet. 
When  only  a  cub,  this  lion  was  rescued  by  the  prince,  a  kindness 
that  he  remembers.  He  gladly  tells  the  prince  which  room  the 
princess  occupies. 

3.  The  prince  may  water  the  rose  when  all  but  withered,  re- 
move a  caterpillar  that  is  destroying  the  blossoms,  or  drive  away 
a  fierce  animal  who  is  about  to  uproot  the  bush.  In  return  the 
rose  tells  him  which  door  to  open. 

4.  A  fairy  —  one  whom  the  prince  has  helped,  or  his  fairy  god- 
mother—  may  help  him  in  any  of  the  following  ways:   (a)  by 


SUPPLEMENTARY  WORK  199 

giving  him  a  cloak  that  will  make  him  invisible,  so  that  if  he  opens 
the  wrong  door  the  inmates  cannot  harm  him ;  (b)  by  giving  him 
a  magic  glass  with  which  he  can  see  through  wood  and  stone  ; 
(<r)  by  giving  him  a  musical  instrument,  the  tones  of  which  will 
cause  a  deep  sleep  to  fall  on  all  who  hear  it ;  (d)  by  teaching  him 
some  magic  word  by  which  he  can  turn  anything  or  anybody  to 
stone  ;  (e)  by  giving  him  a  charm  that  will  make  every  creature 
love  him. 

Study  questions  under  (2)  with  the  children. 
Who  shut  the  princess  in  the  castle  ?  Why  ?  (An 
ogre  who  ruled  in  her  father's  place  and  wanted  her 
out  of  the  way  ?  A  witch  who  had  not  been  invited 
to  the  christening  of  the  princess  and  sought  to  be 
revenged  ?  Her  father  who  wanted  to  make  sure 
she  would  marry  a  man  who  was  brave  and  kind, 
for  the  prince  who  succeeded  by  his  own  powers 
must  be  brave,  and  only  he  who  was  kind  and  good 
could  have  the  help  of  the  fairies  ?  A  fairy,  to 
punish  the  princess  for  her  pride  or  unkindness  to 
insects  and  beasts  ?) 

Help  the  children  to  make  a  complete  story. 

Supplementary  "Work 

Have  children  write  the  princess's  story.  It  might 
begin  something  like  this: 

I  am  the  princess  Maydew.     For  many  years  I  was  shut  up  in 

a  palace  by .     I  was  told  that  there  I  must  stay  until  a  prince 

opened  the  door  and  set  me  free.  To  make  his  task  as  hard  as 
possible  —  (the  three  rooms  with  similar  locks). 

(Vivid  description  of  her  feelings  as  prince  after  prince  tried.) 

(The  coming  of  the  right  prince.) 


200  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

XI  (191).     More  Picture  Stories 

(The  chained  prisoners,  p.  192) 

Let  the  children  think  out  the  ideas  for  their 
stories  alone  by  studying  the  picture  and  answering 
to  themselves  the  questions  under  (i).  When  they 
have  done  this  and  before  they  write  their  stories, 
talk  their  ideas  over  with  them,  helping  them  to 
arrange  them  in  good  story  form.  Let  this  be  done 
in  such  a  way  that  each  child  will  understand  that 
it  is  his  own  ideas  that  he  is  to  put  into  story  form, 
not  the  ideas  of  other  children.  The  success  with 
which  you  handle  this  rather  difficult  matter  will  be 
shown  in  the  variety  and  originality  of  the  written 
stories. 

XII  (193).  A  Poem  to  Read  and  Study- 
Before  taking  up  the  study  of  this  poem  with  the 
children,  make  yourself  thoroughly  familiar  with  the 
suggestions  for  its  study  given  in  the  pupils'  book. 
In  preparation  for  reading  the  poem  to  the  children, 
which  should  be  the  beginning  of  its  study  with 
them,  practice  reading  it  until  you  can  bring  out 
with  your  voice  all  the  beauty  and  meaning  of  it. 
Suitably  rendered,  there  is  nothing  in  it  difficult  for 
children  to  understand  and  appreciate. 

If  at  the  end  of  the  study  the  children  have  not 
clear  mental  pictures  of  the  various  scenes  described 
and  suggested  in  the  poem,  if  they  are  not   filled 


MEMORIZING   A   POEM  201 

with  the  beauty  and  the  rhythm  of  the  poetry,  then 
the  study  has  not  been  a  success.  Find  out  why  it 
failed ;  you  will  certainly  not  find  the  cause  of  the 
failure  in  the  incapacity  or  irresponsiveness  of  the 
children. 

XIII  (198).     Copying  the  Poem,  "Little  Blue  Pigeon" 

Before  having  the  poem  copied  go  over  it  with 
the  children,  studying  with  them  the  use  of  each 
dash  as  their  book  directs. 

Pupils  should  be  trained  to  be  observant  and 
critical,  to  notice  and  seek  an  explanation  for  every 
mark  new  to  them.  To  satisfy  this  demand  we 
give  them  this  simple  explanation  of  the  use  of  the 
dash  in  this  place.  It  is  quite  unnecessary  and  would 
be  confusing  to  the  children  to  try  to  teach  them 
all  the  uses  of  the  dash  at  this  time.  Other  uses  of 
the  dash  will  be  explained  as  their  work  calls  for 
these  uses. 

Pass  from  desk  to  desk  to  see  if  pupils  are  cor- 
recting their  own  work  as  their  book  directs.  Make 
constant  effort  to  get  them  into  the  habit  of  self- 
correction  ;  it  is  a  most  important  habit  for  them  to 
form. 

XIV  (199).   Memorizing  the  Poem,  "Little  Blue  Pigeon" 

After  the  pupils  have  been  given  a  few  minutes 
in  which  to  study  the  stanzas  they  may  select  to 
learn,  call  on  them  to  recite  their  stanzas.     Call  for 


202  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

the  stanzas  in  order.  Who  has  learned  the  first 
stanza  ?  If  no  one  has  memorized  this  stanza,  read 
it  to  the  children.  Call  for  each  succeeding  stanza, 
reading  any  that  no  one  has  memorized  so  as  to 
keep  the  complete  poem  in  the  children's  minds. 
Hearing  the  different  stanzas  recited  or  read  re- 
peatedly, most  of  the  children  will  soon  be  able, 
with  little  or  no  further  conscious  study,  to  repeat 
the  whole  poem.  All  should  learn  it  entire,  study- 
ing wherever  and  as  much  as  necessary.  (For 
further  directions  and  suggestions  regarding  the 
memorizing  of  poetry,  see  pages  86  and  137.) 

Insist  that  the  meaning  and  the  beauty  of  the 
stanzas  be  brought  out  as  fully  as  possible  at  every 
repetition ;  there  is  no  value  in  merely  repeating 
the  words. 

Keep  all  poems  memorized  fresh  in  pupils'  minds 
by  occasional  repetition.  In  a  few  odd  moments 
from  time  to  time  —  moments  which  might  other- 
wise be  wasted  —  several  pupils  can  repeat  the 
poems  that  they  like  best. 


CHAPTER    NINE 

Before  taking  up  this  chapter  with  the  children 
study  it  thoroughly  to  appreciate  the  way  in  which 
all  the  main  ideas  of  previous  chapters  are  further 
developed,  and  the  forms  already  learned  are  kept  in 
constant  review  through  use. 

The  new  work  presented  is  as  follows : 

1.  Exclamations  and  the  use  of  the  exclamation  mark. 

2.  The  use  of  the  comma  with  a  noun  of  direct  address. 

3.  The  names  of  the  months,  their  origin  and  meaning; 
learning  to  write  them  in  full  and  abbreviated. 

4.  The  writing  of  dates. 

5.  The  writing  of  the  names  of  holidays. 

I  (200).  "What  Frightened  the  Animals."  — The  Use 
of  the  Exclamation  Mark;  the  Use  of  the  Comma 
with  Noun  of  Direct  Address 

First  read  the  story  with  the  children.  Let  it  be 
read  so  well  that  the  children  can  readily  under- 
stand what  is  meant  when  their  book  tells  them 
(p.  204)  that  "an  exclamation  mark  is  placed  after 
every  sentence  expressing  sudden  strong  feeling." 

The  story  contains  two  new  forms  of  punctuation 
that  must  stand  as  types  to  the  pupils:  (1)  the  use 
of  commas  to  separate  the  name  of  the  person  ad- 

203 


204  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

dressed  from  the  rest  of  the  sentence ;  (2)  the  use 
of  the  exclamation  mark  after  a  sentence  that  ex- 
presses strong  or  sudden  feeling.  See  that  pupils 
thoroughly  master  these  type  forms. 

Supplementary  "Work 
Give  pupils  an  exercise  in  looking  through  familiar 
selections  in  their  reading  books  to  find  as  many 
places  as  possible  where  the  comma  and  the  ex- 
clamation mark  are  used  as  in  the  type  forms  ex- 
plained in  this  lesson.  Of  course  suitable  selections 
must  be  assigned  for  this  exercise. 

II  (204).  A  Copying  Exercise  to  Give  Practice  in  the 
Uses  of  the  Exclamation  Mark  and  the  Comma 
Learned  in  the  Last  Lesson 

Work  with  the  pupils  and  show  them  how  to  com- 
pare their  copies  with  the  original  and  how  to  correct 
their  own  mistakes.  The  habit  of  such  comparison 
and  correction  is  not  only  invaluable  to  the  pupil, 
it  will  save  you  and  all  the  pupil's  future  teachers  an 
immense  amount  of  unnecessary  work  and  drudgery. 
This  habit  cannot  be  too  early  nor  too  firmly  estab- 
lished. 

III  (204).     Studied  Dictation  to  Give  Further  Practice 

in  Uses  of  Exclamation  Mark  and  Comma 

Allow  pupils  two  or  three  minutes  to  look  carefully 
through  the  6th,  7th,  8th,  9th,  10th,  and  nth  para- 
graphs of  the  story,  What  Frightened  the  Animals. 


STUDIED    DICTATION 


205 


See  that  they  understand  clearly  why  they  are  look- 
ing over  these  paragraphs  —  that  they  may  be  able 
to  write  them  correctly  in  all  respects,  particularly 
in  the  use  of  the  exclamation  mark  and  the  new  use 
of  the  comma  that  they  have  been  studying  in  the 
last  two  lessons. 

Dictate  these  paragraphs, —  by  complete  sentences 
only.     (See  p.  145.) 

Be  careful  about  the  correction  of  the  pupils' 
papers ;  this  is  the  most  important  part  of  the  ex- 
ercise. If  a  pupil  has  omitted  a  comma  to  separate 
the  name  of  the  person  addressed  from  the  rest  of 
the  sentence,  question  and  direct  as  follows: 

Who  is  speaking? 
To  whom? 

Show  me  the  name  of  the  person  addressed. 
How  should  the  name  of  the  person  addressed  be  separated 
from  the  rest  of  the  sentence  ? 
Do  it! 

If  a  pupil  has  omitted  the  exclamation  mark,  read 
the  quotation  which  precedes  the  omitted  mark, 
showing  distinctly  by  your  voice  what  feeling  is 
expressed,  then  ask  and  direct : 

What  sudden  strong  feeling  does  the  animal  show? 
(Pupil's  answer :  fear) 

What  mark  is  used  after  a  sentence  that  shows  sudden  strong 
feeling,  like  fear? 

(Pupil's  answer  :    An  exclamation  mark) 
Make  it! 


206  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

IV  (204).     Unstudied  Dictation  to  Test  Use  of  Excla- 
mation Mark  and  Comma 

"  Grandmother,  what  long  arms  you  have  !  "  cried  the  little  girl. 
"  The  better  to  hug  you,  my  dear,"  said  the  wolf. 
"  Grandmother,  what  long  ears  you  have  ! " 
"  The  better  to  hear  you,  my  dear." 

Dictate  the  above  extract  from  Little  Red  Riding 
Hood,  first  reminding  the  children  of  the  main  events 
of  the  story  that  precede  this  dictation.  In  dictat- 
ing, make  your  voice  and  expression  consistent  with 
the  use  of  the  exclamation  mark.  If  you  merely 
dictate  the  words  of  Little  Red  Riding  Hood,  with- 
out feeling,  the  pupil  is  right  if  he  uses  a  comma  to 
separate  the  quotation  from  the  rest  of  the  sentence, 
and  you  are  wrong  if  you  consider  this  an  error. 

Before  dictating,  call  to  the  pupils'  minds  the  two 
points  which  the  dictation  is  primarily  to  test,  some- 
thing as  follows.  Read  the  quotation  in  the  first 
sentence  of  the  dictation  with  appropriate  expression 
and  ask  and  have  answered  the  following  questions: 

What  feeling  does  this  sentence  express? 

What  mark  must  be  placed  after  it? 

Who  is  addressed  ? 

What  mark  must  be  used  with  the  name  of  the  person  addressed? 

Where  is  this  mark  to  be  placed  in  this  sentence  ? 

If  you  think  necessary,  talk  over  every  sentence  of 
the  dictation  in  this  way  before  it  is  given.  Antici- 
pate errors. 


UNSTUDIED   DICTATION 


207 


If  the  results  of  this  dictation  indicate  that  the 
pupils  need  further  drill  on  the  uses  of  the  exclama- 
tion mark  and  the  comma,  write  on  the  board  the 
extract  dictated,  together  with  the  remainder  of  the 
conversation  between  the  wolf  and  Little  Red  Riding 
Hood,  and  have  the  children  study  each  sentence 
aloud  as  they  did  in  the  first  lesson  of  this  chapter. 

The  remainder  of  the  conversation  is  as  follows: 

"  Grandmother,  what  great  eyes  you  have  !  " 
"The  better  to  see  you,  my  dear." 
"  Grandmother,  what  big  teeth  you  have  ! " 
"The  better  to  eat  you,  my  dear." 

In  their  reading  of  the  sentences,  as  in  your  dicta- 
tion of  them,  the  pupils  should  be  required  to  read 
those  followed  by  an  exclamation  mark  in  a  way  to 
justify  that  mark,  even  though  they  are  reading  but 
the  single  sentence.  Failure  so  to  read  an  exclama- 
tory sentence  is  failure  to  read  the  sentence  correctly 
just  as  much  as  would  be  the  omission  or  the  mis- 
calling of  words.  Just  as  a  word  correctly  and 
thoughtfully  pronounced  is  half  spelled,  so  a  sentence 
correctly  and  thoughtfully  spoken  is  half  written. 

After  the  study  dictate  the  complete  extract  writ- 
ten on  the  board. 

Correct  papers  with  the  pupils,  leading  each  one  to 
discover  his  own  errors  and  requiring  each  one  to 
tell  what  he  should  have  written  and  to  make  the 
necessary  corrections.  Conduct  the  correcting  ex- 
ercise as  directed  in  the  last  lesson. 


208  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

Supplementary  Work 
Exercises  1 1  and  12,  Chapter  Twelve,  may  be  used 
in  studied  dictation  to  test  the  use  of  the  comma  with 
a  noun  of  direct  address. 

V  (205).     The  Months  and  Their  Abbreviations 

The  pupils  should  need  little  or  no  help  in  the 
study  of  this  lesson.  After  they  have  had  time  to 
prepare  it,  have  them  write  from  dictation  the  names 
of  the  months  and  their  abbreviations.  Preceding 
the  dictation,  question  them  regarding  the  way  these 
are  to  be  written ;  that  is,  the  use  of  capitals  and 
period.  It  would  be  well  also  to  have  some  of  the 
more  difficult  names,  such  as  February  and  August, 
spelled  orally.  In  dictating  pronounce  each  name 
very  distinctly  and  have  pupils  pronounce  it  after 
you  before  writing. 

VI  (206).     Writing  the  Names  of  Holidays 

Before  the  pupils  write  the  sentences  as  they  are 
required  to  do,  go  over  the  lesson  with  them  orally, 
calling  for  sentences  which  tell  the  month  in  which 
each  holiday  falls.  Get  as  much  variety  as  possible 
in  these  sentences.  Following  are  several  different 
and  natural  forms. 

The  first  of  January  is  New  Year's  Day. 
Lincoln's  Birthday  comes  in  February. 
Washington's  Birthday  is  also  a  February  holiday. 
Labor  Day  comes  early  in  September. 
Christmas  comes  late  in  December. 


WRITING   DATES  209 

Variety  in  the  oral  sentences  will  prepare  pupils 
for  writing  varied  sentences,  which  they  should  be 
encouraged  to  do.  Do  not  allow  the  abbreviations 
of  the  names  of  the  months  in  these  sentences.  Be- 
fore they  write,  direct  attention  to  the  apostrophe  in 
the  names  of  three  of  the  holidays  and  ask  why  it  is 
used. 

As  always,  the  correction  with  the  pupils  of  their 
written  work  must  be  carefully  done.  Any  errors  in 
writing  the  names  of  the  holidays  or  of  the  months 
the  pupils  should  discover  for  themselves  by  compar- 
ing their  work  with  these  names  as  they  are  given 
in  this  and  in  the  preceding  lesson  of  their  book. 

VII  (206).     Writing  Dates 

Study  the  lesson  with  the  children  in  preparation 
for  their  copying  of  the  dates  as  directed.  Help 
them  to  answer  the  question  asked  about  the  dates 
1732^  1 775?  and  1776.  See  that  they  notice  the 
period  after  each  complete  date.  If  no  question  is 
•raised,  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  make  any  explana- 
tion of  this,  simply  requiring  that  it  be  copied  cor- 
rectly. Should  there  be  now  or  in  the  later  writing 
of  dates  any  indication  that  pupils  think  a  period 
belongs  after  the  year  of  every  date,  it  should  be 
explained  that  in  dates  written  as  these  are,  or  in 
the  date  at  the  beginning  of  a  letter,  each  date  is 
really  a  sentence  and  is  followed  by  a  period  simply 
on  that  account. 


210  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

The  names  of  the  months  are  given  in  full  in  the 
pupils'  book,  and  they  should  be  required  to  copy 
them  in  full  rather  than  to  write  the  abbreviations. 
This  will  fix  the  spelling,  and  it  will  prepare  them 
for  the  next  use  of  dates  that  their  work  will  re- 
quire ;  namely,  in  the  writing  of  friendly  letters,  in 
which  the  full  name  of  the  month  is  better  form  than 
the  abbreviation.  In  the  dating  of  papers  in  all 
school  work  have  pupils  use  the  abbreviations  of  the 
months,  and  see  that  they  write  them  correctly. 

Supplementary  Work 

i.    Have  several  dates  written  from  dictation. 
2.    Dictate  easy  sentences  containing  dates. 

VIII  (207).     My  Birthday:  Original  Written  Com- 
position 

This  is  the  first  time  that  purely  original  com- 
position work  has  been  required.  While  such  work 
might  have  been  done  much  earlier,  and  probably 
with  a  fair  degree  of  success  by  most  pupils,  it  has 
been  deferred  until  this  time  for  the  purpose  of  al- 
lowing time  and  practice  to  fix  as  habits  some  of  the 
most  common  conventional  forms  before  requiring 
the  pupil  to  do  work  in  which  he  should  be  free  to 
devote  his  attention  and  thought  mainly  to  the  con- 
tent rather  than  the  form. 

This  exercise  will  prepare  pupils  somewhat  for 
the  writing  of  friendly  letters,  a  subject  which  will 
soon  be  taken  up. 


ORIGINAL  WRITTEN   COMPOSITION  211 

Have  no  class  discussion  of  the  exercise — this 
will  tend  to  produce  sameness  and  monotony  rather 
than  originality  and  variety  in  the  pupils'  work  — 
but  go  from  desk  to  desk,  as  pupils  think  and  write, 
and  help  individually  by  questions  and  suggestions 
adapted  to  each  one.  The  chief  thing  to  impress 
upon  each  one  is  that  he  write  something  that  will 
be  really  interesting 

Perhaps  some  children  will  have  great  difficulty 
in  making  a  beginning.  Such  might  be  questioned 
somewhat  as  follows : 

When  is  your  birthday? 

What  would  you  like  best  to  do  at  that  time? 

(The  season  will  determine  many  things  that  can  be  done  to 
best  advantage.) 

Is  there  any  place  you  would  like  to  visit? 

Whom  would'you  like  to  go  with  you? 

What  would  you  do  there? 

What  would  you  like  for  birthday  presents  ? 

If  you  had  some  money  given  you  for  a  birthday  present,  how 
would  you  spend  it? 

Would  you  like  to  have  a  birthday  party?  Where  would  you 
like  to  hold  it?  Whom  would  you  invite?  What  would  you  do 
to  entertain  your  guests  ? 

Such  questions  as  these  and  many  others  that 
will  suggest  themselves  cannot  fail  to  start  any 
child  thinking.  But  perhaps  this  will  not  always 
be  sufficient;  perhaps  with  the  mind  full  of  inter- 
esting things  to  write,  some  children's  difficulty  may 
consist  in  the  actual  putting  on  paper  of  the  first 


212  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

sentences.  Do  not  hesitate  to  give  such  just  the 
help  and  all  the  help  they  need.  This  is  much 
better  than  scolding  or  prodding  or  leaving  them  to 
flounder  helpless  and  discouraged  and  finally  mark- 
ing their  exercise  a  failure.  A  failure  under  such 
conditions  should  be  charged  up  to  the  teacher 
rather  than  to  the  pupil. 

Helping  a  pupil  in  the  condition  described  to 
make  a  beginning  will  often  suffice  to  turn  an  im- 
minent failure  into  a  decided  success.  Perhaps  the 
beginning  needed  is  as  simple  as  this: 

My  birthday  comes  on  March  16.  If  I  could  do  just  as  I 
would  like  on  that  day,  I  would  — 

IX  (208).     How  the  Months  Were  Named:  a  Study  and 
"Writing  Exercise 

This  is  a  lesson  for  you  to  talk  over  with  the 
pupils,  explain  to  them,  and  make  as  interesting  as 
possible.  It  is  not  at  all  necessary  that  pupils 
commit  to  memory  by  formal  study  the  sources  of 
the  months'  names  nor  the  Indians'  way  of  des- 
ignating months  or  "moons."  The  lesson  will 
serve  to  build  up  about  the  names  of  the  months 
interesting  associations,  which  the  pupil  may  use 
in  speech  or  writing  on  occasion.  Should  he  forget 
some  of  the  facts  here  given  him,  he  will  know 
where  to  turn  for  them. 


MEMORIZING  QUOTATIONS  213 

X  (210).     A  Written  Exercise  on  the  Months 

The  written  work  required  of  pupils  should  be 
discussed  and  corrected  with  them  individually,  so 
far  as  possible  while  they  write. 

XI  (210).     Study  of  Quotations  about  the  Months 

The  quotations  given  for  the  different  months 
have  been  selected  with  great  care.  Each  one  is 
especially  appropriate;  it  not  only  expresses  the 
most  characteristic  associations  of  the  month  to 
which  it  refers,  but  it  awakens  as  well  intimate 
feelings  to  which  that  month's  experiences  have 
given  birth.  To  realize  the  full  worth  of  these 
selections  they  must  be  read — read  intimately, 
deeply,  sympathetically,  expressively,  effectively. 

Read  them  over  and  over  with  the  children,  try- 
ing with  each  reading  to  bring  out  more  and  more 
of  the  meaning.  As  an  aid  to  the  reading,  study 
the  selections  as  the  questions  in  the  pupils'  book 
suggest.  Several  lesson  periods  may  be  profitably 
devoted  to  this  chapter. 

XII  (217).     Memorizing  Quotations 

Before  the  pupils  begin  studying  the  quotations 
to  memorize  them,  find  out  which  one  each  has 
chosen  to  memorize.  See  that  every  quotation  is 
taken  by  at  least  one  pupil.  Have  each  pupil  read 
his  chosen  quotation  aloud  to  you,  so  that  you  can 


214  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

determine  whether  he  fully  appreciates  its  meaning 
and  feeling.     Read  it  to  him  if  necessary. 

Keep  these  quotations  in  review  by  calling  for  a 
repetition  of  them  from  time  to  time.  Call  for  them 
by  months,  having  some  pupil  respond  who  has 
learned  the  quotation  for  the  month  called.  If  the 
quotations  are  well  rendered  at  each  exercise  of  this 
kind,  in  a  surprisingly  short  time  you  will  find  that 
most  of  the  pupils  can  repeat  most  of  the  quotations. 
They  may  vie  with  each  other  in  the  number  they 
can  repeat. 

It  will  be  worth  while  to  have  each  pupil  write 
from  memory  one  or  more  of  these  quotations  each 
month.  Keep  each  child's  papers  together  and 
toward  the  end  of  the  year  or  term  let  him  make 
them  into  a  booklet.  He  might  illustrate  each 
poem  and  decorate  the  booklet  cover. 

XIII  (218).     Picture  Stories 

(Dead  fawn  picture,  p.  219) 

Some  children  in  one  class  worked  with  enthusi- 
asm for  several  weeks  on  stories  growing  out  of  this 
picture.  According  to  their  conceptions,  the  pet 
fawn  belongs  to  the  little  princess.  One  day  she 
and  her  brother  find  the  fawn  dead.  From  the 
mark  on  the  arrow,  they  know  that  the  king's 
huntsman  has  killed  the  fawn.  The  huntsman  is 
brought  before  the  king  and  confesses  that  he  killed 
the  fawn,  thinking  it  a  wild  one.     The  king  gives 


MORE  PICTURE   STORIES  215 

him  one  year  in  which  to  search  the  world  and  find 
a  fawn,  exactly  like  the  one  killed  —  the  same  age, 
size,  color,  with  the  same  number  of  spots  placed 
in  the  same  way  —  in  everything  exactly  like.  If 
within  that  time  the  huntsman  returns  with  such 
a  fawn,  he  will  be  pardoned ;  if  he  fails,  he  shall  no 
longer  be  the  king's  huntsman. 

The  children  wrote  on  The  Quest  for  the  Fawn, 
relating  the  huntsman's  adventures,  etc. 

Here  are  other  suggestions  that  may  be  helpful. 

1.  The  castle  is  besieged  by  an  army  on  the  farther  side;  the 
defenders  within  are  starving ;  the  boy  kills  the  deer ;  he  and  his 
sister  manage  to  get  it  to  the  starving  ones  in  the  castle,  among 
whom  is  the  children's  father,  and  so  save  their  lives. 

2.  The  boy  kills  his  sister's  fawn  by  accident;  he  is  moved 
by  the  sufferings  of  the  dying  creature ;  he  throws  away  his  bow 
and  arrows  (he  no  longer  carries  them  in  the  picture)  and 
promises  never  again  to  harm  an  innocent  creature. 

3.  Fawn  shot  by  hunters  escapes  and  falls  wounded  near 
children's  home ;  children  care  for  it,  restore  it,  and  keep  it  as 
a  pet. 

XIV  (220).     More  Picture  Stories 

(Girl  in  wood  surrounded  by  animals,  p.  221) 

The  different  names  given  to  the  picture  in  the 
children's  book  suggest  different  stories.  Encour- 
age the  children  to  think  of  other  suitable  names. 
Write  their  suggestions  on  the  blackboard.  Then 
let  each  one  select  a  title  either  from  the  list  on  the 
board  or  from  that  in  the  book  and  write  a  story 
appropriate  to  the  title. 


216  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

Supplementary  "Work 

Let  the  children  imagine  themselves  any  one  of  the 
characters  in  the  picture  —  the  maiden,  the  youth, 
the  wolf,  the  deer,  etc. — and  write  a  story  as  that 
character  might  tell  it.  The  marked  and  contrast- 
ing characteristics  of  the  animals  —  the  savageness 
of  the  wolf,  the  timidity  of  the  deer  and  hare,  the 
sauciness  of  the  squirrel — and  the  common  effect  on 
these  of  the  maiden's  kindness  must  be  appreciated. 
This  appreciation  will  give  variety  to  the  stories  as 
told  from  the  different  standpoints  of  the  various 
characters. 

Before  the  children  are  asked  to  write,  the  natural 
characteristics  of  the  several  animals  should  be  dis- 
cussed with  them  in  some  detail.  Then  each  one 
should  be  allowed  to  choose  the  character  that  he 
will  be,  and  to  write  his  story. 

XV  (220).     Review  of  the  Uses  of  Capitals  and 
Punctuation  Marks 

After  the  pupils  have  studied  the  lesson  alone, 
test  them  by  asking  them  to  read  aloud  certain 
sentences  and  to  give  the  reasons  for  the  use  of 
capitals  and  marks  of  punctuation. 

XVI  (223).     Studied  Dictation 

Have  children  write  from  dictation  Part  I  of  the 
story,  A  Queer  Catch,  first  taking  such  precautions 


SUPPLEMENTARY   WORK  217 

as  may  seem  necessary  to  help  them  avoid  the  mak- 
ing of  errors.     (See  p.  206.) 

Correct  the  papers  carefully  with  the  children,  as 
suggested  in  past  exercises.  Keep  the  papers  until 
after  the  next  lesson,  then  put  together  the  two  papers 
of  each  pupil. 

XVII  (223).     Writing  the  Ending  of  a  Story 

As  the  children  write,  help  any  who  need  assist- 
ance by  asking  suggestive  questions.  Be  careful  to 
influence  none  who  are  able  to  work  alone. 

Supplementary  Work 

Let  the  children  make  complete  stories  based  on 
Exercise  8,  Chapter  Twelve,  as  suggested  in  this 
Manual  (p.  266). 


CHAPTER   TEN 

In  addition  to  the  continuation  and  development  of  all 
important  kinds  of  exercises  previously  taken  up,  this 
chapter  treats,  in  a  concrete  way  that  children  understand, 
the  general  use  of  marks  of  punctuation ;  studies  and 
practices  the  use  of  the  contractions  don't  and  doesn't;  and 
gives  exercises  and  instructions  intended  to  eliminate  the 
use  of  ain't. 

Before  taking  up  the  chapter  with  the  children, 
study  its  contents  carefully,  both  in  the  children's 
book  and  in  this  Manual,  and  compare  with  preced- 
ing work  so  as  to  see  just  what  advance  is  here 
made. 

I  (224).     "For  the  King" 

Help  the  children  to  read  themselves  into  the 
very  heart  and  spirit  of  the  story.  See  and  feel 
yourself,  as  though  you  were  a  part  of  it,  that  scene 
in  the  little  Scottish  cottage.  Feel  with  those  two 
brave  boys,  as  they  prepare  their  arms,  hoping  to 
conceal  from  their  mother  their  real  purpose,  but 
too  honest  and  obedient  positively  to  deceive  her; 
become  that  mother  for  a  moment,  the  personifica- 
tion of  patriotism,  courage,  and  self-sacrifice ;  enter 
the  cottage  with  the  homeless,  wandering,  hunted 
king,  and  feel  with  him   the  rebound  of   limitless 

218 


STUDYING   THE   STORY 


219 


courage  as  he  experiences  the  perfect  loyalty  of  the 
mother  and  her  sons. 

If  you  can  live  the  scene  that  this  story  describes 
so  vividly,  you  will  have  no  difficulty  with  the  chil- 
dren. Whether  you  read  it  to  them  or  with  them, 
or  whether  they  read  it  to  you,  they  will  catch  the 
spirit.  That  is  the  purpose  of  the  reading.  Fail- 
ing in  this,  the  story  is  not  read.  Succeeding  in 
this,  the  dramatization  of  it,  which  is  called  for 
later,  will  be  spontaneous. 

II  (227).     Studying  the  Story 

If  the  story  has  been  really  read,  which  was  the 
purpose  of  the  last  lesson,  the  children  will  now 
study  it  with  enthusiasm,  with  keen  appreciation 
of  the  meaning  of  questions  and  suggestions  given 
in  their  book  to  direct  their  preparation  for  the 
dramatizing.  Give  them  some  time  to  study  by 
themselves;  observe  them  individually  to  determine 
who  really  are  studying  sympathetically  and  who, 
if  any,  only  perfunctorily.  Help  them,  particularly 
those  most  in  need  of  help,  by  calling  on  them  to 
answer  some  of  the  questions  aloud  and  to  show 
how  some  of  the  characters  spoke  and  acted,  as 
suggested  in  the  pupils'  book. 

Let  each  child  tell  the  part  he  would  like  to  take. 
Write  on  the  blackboard  the  names  of  the  several 
characters  and  opposite  each  the  names  of  the 
children  who  want  to  take  that  part. 


220  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

Discuss  tactfully  with  the  children  the  fitness  of 
the  assignments.  This  will  help  them  to  appre- 
ciate the  requirements  of  the  different  parts. 

Ill  (230).     Dramatizing  the  Story 

Let  the  children  determine  largely  the  assignment 
of  parts  for  dramatizing,  but  see  to  it  that  the  less 
capable  ones  have  their  fair  share  of  opportunity. 
Seldom  make  up  an  "all  star"  cast.  For  the  first 
dramatization,  usually  give  the  leading  roles  to  the 
more  capable  children,  the  minor  roles  to  the  less 
capable,  the  diffident.  But  do  not  hesitate,  in  sub- 
sequent dramatizations  of  the  same  story,  to  assign 
less  capable  children  to  leading  parts ;  this  may  be 
just  what  they  need  to  bring  out  unsuspected  talent 
or  to  overcome  their  self-consciousness.  Let  each 
child  try  the  part  that  he  thinks  himself  he  can  take 
best. 

All  the  stories  dramatized  from  the  beginning 
should  be  repeated  from  time  to  time,  always  with 
different  or  partially  different  casts,  so  that  every 
child  may  at  some  time  have  a  part  in  every  drama- 
tization. See  to  it  that  no  child  always,  or  nearly 
always,  takes  part  in  the  same  dramatization.  If 
for  any  reason  —  as  the  small  number  in  the  class  — 
the  same  children  must  frequently  take  part  in  the 
same  play,  change  the  assignment  of  parts. 

This  constant  change  of  actors  and  parts  helps  to 
make  each  dramatization  spontaneous,  original.     A 


WHY   MARKS   OF   PUNCTUATION   ARE   USED      221 

routine,  mechanical  dramatization,  with  "  finished  " 
acting  and  conversation,  no  matter  how  good  it  may- 
be from  the  dramatic  standpoint,  is  just  what  is  not 
wanted. 

Occasionally,  instead  of  the  complete  dramatiza- 
tion of  a  story,  have  the  story  read  expressively  by 
the  several  characters,  each  one  reading  only  the 
conversation  of  his  part. 

IV  (230).     Oral  Reproduction  of  the  Story 

The  results  of  the  reading,  study,  and  dramatizing 
of  the  story  should  show  in  the  reproduction  of  it. 
See  that  the  children  tell  it  vividly  and  with  feeling. 
The  action  is  straightforward  ;  the  children's  render- 
ing should  be  the  same. 

V  (231).     Why  Marks  of  Punctuation  Are  Used 

This  lesson  is  designed  to  make  clear  and 
emphatic  the  idea  that  every  mark  of  punctuation 
has  a  definite  purpose,  that  it  must  be  both  used 
and  interpreted  thoughtfully.  Carelessness  in  the 
use  of  punctuation  marks,  or  their  omission  alto- 
gether, may  do  just  as  much  harm  as  carelessness  in 
the  use  of  words  —  or  even  the  omission  of  words. 
Punctuation  marks  are  a  part  of  written  or  printed 
language.  They,  together  with  letters  and  words, 
are  the  means  we  use  in  expressing  thoughts  on 
paper.  They  must  not  be  omitted  where  needed, 
nor  must  they  be  placed  where  not  needed. 


222  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

This  is  the  simple  idea  that  every  child  must  get 
and  assimilate.  Two  people  must  use  marks  of 
punctuation  correctly,  the  writer  and  the  reader.  I 
am  always  the  one  or  the  other  of  these  people.  As 
a  writer,  I  must  use  marks  of  punctuation  so  that 
any  reader  can  understand  just  what  I  mean.  As 
a  reader,  I  must  heed  marks  of  punctuation  so  that 
I  can  understand  jtist  what  the  writer  means. 

This  idea  every  child  should  get  from  this  lesson. 
The  full  assimilation  of  it,  until  it  becomes  a  habit, 
will  depend  upon  the  consistency  of  its  observance, 
both  in  writing  and  in  reading.  And  its  observance, 
with  most  children,  will  depend  upon  the  teacher. 
It  requires  patience,  unremitting  vigilance  through 
several  years,  but  the  results  are  just  as  sure  as  are 
the  results  of  spasmodic  attention,  carelessness,  and 
indifference.  With  patience  and  vigilance  in  this 
matter,  from  the  beginning,  every  pupil  will  complete 
the  elementary  school  course  habitually  thoughtful 
in  the  use  and  observance,  as  writer  and  reader,  of 
marks  of  punctuation  ;  without  such  patience  and 
vigilance  on  the  part  of  the  teacher  —  every  teacher 
—  only  the  opposite  result  can  be  expected. 

Do  not  make  the  mistake  of  thinking  that  the 
result  scarcely  justifies  the  effort.  There  is  no 
better  means  of  training  in  accurate  thinking  than 
that  afforded  by  the  process  of  acquiring  the  habit 
of  using  and  observing  marks  of  punctuation  cor- 
rectly; this  demands  the  constant  exercise  of  dis- 


SUPPLEMENTARY   WORK  223 

criminating  thought.  So,  in  acquiring  this  habit, 
children  are  doing  much  more  than  at  first  appears ; 
they  are  learning  to  think  definitely.  Here  is  the 
secret  of  the  difficulty  with  punctuation  —  for  adults 
hardly  less  than  for  children ;  punctuation  depends 
upon  thought — -definite,  discriminating  thought. 
Carelessness  in  the  use  and  observance  of  punctua- 
tion marks  is  almost  conclusive  evidence  of  careless- 
ness and  indefiniteness  in  thinking. 

Supplementary  Work 

i.    Dictate  without  study  the  following  sentences: 

"Will,"  asked  Bob,  "  is  this  your  hat?" 
Will  asked,  "  Bob,  is  this  your  hat?" 
Will  asked  Bob,  "  Is  this  your  hat?" 

Have  a  child  write  these  sentences  on  the  black- 
board as  you  dictate.  Children  at  their  seats  will 
criticize ;  corrections  should  be  made  at  once. 

Be  careful  that  your  dictation  demands  the  punc- 
tuation that,  you  expect.  If  the  children  have  dif- 
ficulty in  determining  the  punctuation,  or  if  they 
punctuate  incorrectly,  do  not  tell  them,  but  make 
them  think  for  themselves  what  it  should  be.  You 
can  do  this  by  repetition,  exaggeration,  and  contrast. 
Similarly,  make  them  see  the  errors  in  an  incorrectly 
punctuated  sentence  by  reading,  or  having  them 
read,  the  sentence  just  as  punctuated,  and  comparing 
that  with  the  reading  originally  given. 


224  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

2.  Dictate  similar  sentences  to  be  written  on 
paper.  Correct  them  individually.  Let  each  child 
read  to  you  just  what  he  has  written;  whether  he 
has  written  according  to  dictation  or  not,  his  render- 
ing should  agree  with  his  writing. 

VI  (233).     A  Fable  to  Study  and  Copy 

This  lesson  is  to  be  studied  by  the  children  alone 
—  without  preceding  class  exercise.  Before  they 
begin,  make  sure  that  they  understand  what  they  are 
to  do:  (1)  to  read  the  fable  carefully;  (2)  to  study 
what  follows ;  (3)  to  copy  the  fable  as  directed. 

While  they  are  copying,  go  from  desk  to  desk, 
making  sure  that  they  are  copying  accurately. 
From  time  to  time  ask  a  question,  as,  "  Why  have 
you  used  a  comma  here  ?  "  to  assure  yourself  that 
the  pupils  are  working  intelligently.  Especially 
question  them  about  the  new  point,  the  writing  of 
the  contraction  dorit. 

Exclamatory  sentences  and  contractions  will  re- 
ceive more  attention  later. 

VII  (234).     Writing  a  Fable  from  Dictation 

Dictate  the  fable,  The  Fox  and  the  Grapes, 
Have  pupils  correct  their  own  mistakes  individually 
under  your  direction. 

As  this  fable  is  to  be  used  as  a  model  on  which 
children  will  base  original  fables,  they  must  learn 
the  form  of  it  thoroughly. 


TELLING  ORIGINAL  FABLES  225 

VIII  (234).     Telling  Original  Fables 

Study  this  lesson  with  the  pupils.  Make  sure 
that  they  fully  understand  the  nature  of  the  out- 
lines, their  relation  to  the  stories  based  upon  them. 
The  first  outline  —  that  analyzed  out  of  the  fable, 
The  Fox  and  the  Grapes  —  is  general ;  it  may 
serve  as  the  basis  of  many  fables  entirely  differ- 
ent in  their  character  and  details.  The  second 
and  third  outlines  are  like  the  first,  really  based 
on  it,  only  they  are  specific,  each  one  the  basis 
of  a  single  story,  which  may  be  varied,  indeed, 
in  its  minor  details,  but  which  must  concern  the 
actors  named. 

In  working  out  the  first  original  fable  with  the 
children,  that  of  the  Girl  and  the  Rose,  do  not  let 
them  be  satisfied  with  the  one  version  given,  as  a 
suggestion  of  form,  in  their  book,  but  encourage 
originality  and  variety  in  every  one  of  the  four 
parts,  especially  in  the  last  three.  For  examples: 
How  did  the  girl  try  to  get  the  rose  and  fail  ? 
(She  jumped  and  jumped ;  she  tried  to  pull  down 
the  bush  and  scratched  her  hands ;  she  climbed  on 
the  wall  and  fell.)  What  disagreeable  thing  did 
she  say  about  the  rose  ?  ("  It  isn't  fragrant ;  "  "  it 
is  withered ;  "  "  it  has  too  many  thorns  ;  "  "I  don't 
like  red  (or  white,  or  yellow)  roses  anyway ; "  "  it's 
too  small ;  "  "I  didn't  really  want  it.") 

Allow  the  children  a  few  minutes  to  think  out  a 


226  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

fable,  each  one  for  himself,  choosing  any  of  the 
titles  given  in  their  book.  Then  have  several  tell 
their  fables  to  the  class.  Insist  on  their  following 
the  outline,  making  just  four  parts  of  each  fable, 
each  part  definite  and  to  the  point.  Discourage 
random,  irrelevant  talking.  Insist  on  brevity,  point, 
fluency,  and  good  expression.  Every  fable  must 
teach  the  same  moral  —  "sour  grapes." 

Supplementary  Work 

i.  Have  pupils  make  lists  of  titles  for  fables  that 
may  be  made  to  teach  the  same  lesson  as  that  of 
the  Fox  and  the  Grapes,  This  may  be  a  class 
exercise  in  which  the  titles,  as  determined  upon, 
may  be  written  on  the  blackboard ;  or  it  may  be  an 
individual  exercise,  each  pupil  writing  his  own 
titles  on  paper. 

2.  Fables  may  be  made  and  told  from  any  of 
these  titles,  as  in  the  regular  lesson. 

IX  (236).     Writing  Original  Fables 

If  the  oral  work  of  previous  lessons  has  been  well 
done,  the  children  should  have  no  difficulty  in  writ- 
ing good  original  fables.  Before  they  begin,  it  will 
be  well  to  make  sure  by  a  few  questions  that  every 
one  has  in  mind  the  several  indispensable  character- 
istics which  his  fable  must  have ;  namely,  four  parts 
like  the  fable  of  the  Fox  and  the  Grapes,  brevity  and 
directness,  and  a  moral.     Of  course  it  must  also  be 


CONTRACTIONS,   DON'T,   DOESN'T  227 

correctly  written  in  respect  to  spelling,  punctuation, 
the  use  of  capitals,  and  a  paragraph  for  each  part. 

Go  from  pupil  to  pupil  as  they  write  to  see  that 
each  one  is  succeeding.  A  question  or  suggestion 
will  help  a  pupil  to  avoid  an  error  or  to  correct  it  at 
once.  Some  children  will  need  a  little  sympathetic 
help.  Let  the  child  who  is  unable  to  begin  tell  you 
the  first  part  of  the  fable  that  he  is  to  write ;  then 
he  will  probably  have  no  further  trouble.  Every 
pupil  should  be  helped  to  correct  his  own  work  — 
not  merely  its  form,  but  its  content. 

Supplementary  Work 
Let  children  write    original  fables  teaching   the 
lessons  taught  by  fables  1  and  2,  Chapter  Twelve. 

X  (237).     Contractions,  Don't,  Doesn't 

Only  contractions  that  are  commonly  misused  by 
children  are  made  the  objects  of  intensive  study  in 
regular  lessons.  The  lesson  should  be  but  the  be- 
ginning of  a  determined  effort  to  establish  right 
habits  of  usage.  In  the  lesson  the  child  learns  what 
is  right,  why  it  is  right,  and  how  to  tell  what  is 
right.  If  he  can  be  made  to  apply  this  knowledge 
patiently  to  his  speech  and  writing,  he  will  soon 
form  the  correct  habit. 

As  an  aid  to  the  children  in  forming  the  habit  of 
using  dorit  and  doesnt  correctly,  it  would  be  well  to 
keep  before  them  on   the    blackboard    the    lists  of 


228  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

sentences  in  their  book  in  which  these  words  are 
correctly  used.  Pupils  especially  prone  to  misuse 
these  words  will  do  well  to  make  individual  copies 
of  these  sentences  on  cards  and  refer  to  them 
frequently. 

Require  each  child  to  correct  his  own  mistakes 
in  filling  the  blanks  in  The  Family  Vacation. 
To  do  this,  he  has  only  to  follow  carefully  the  direc- 
tions that  his  book  clearly  gives  for  the  use  of  the 
words  dorit  and  doesn't.  Additional  exercises  simi- 
lar to  this  can  easily  be  prepared  if  desired. 

XI  (238).     A  Contraction  that  is  Always  Wrong,  Ain't 

Owing  to  the  widely  prevalent  use  of  this  word 
by  children  in  speech,  and,  hardly  less  commonly,  in 
writing,  a  special  lesson  on  the  matter  is  advisable. 
This  lesson  is  not  given  with  the  thought  that  a 
single  lesson  will  break  the  habit  in  a  single  child ; 
it  should  rather  be  considered  the  first  step  in  a  de- 
termined effort  which  is  to  endure  until  the  habit  is 
broken,  until  correct  forms  are  used  habitually,  with- 
out thought,  in  place  of  this  incorrect  form. 

The  lesson  should  serve  to  make  perfectly  plain 
to  every  child  that  airit  is  wrong  and  must  not  be 
used,  that  it  is  not  needed,  as  there  are  other  con- 
tractions to  fit  every  place  in  which  any  one  would 
think  of  using  airit.  More  than  this  —  and  more 
important  —  the  lesson  should  be  made  to  arouse  a 
strong  sentiment  against  the  use  of  the  word  and  in 


THE   EXCLAMATION   MARK  229 

favor  of  using  correct  forms ;  if  this  can  be  done,  it 
will  need  only  following  up  to  replace  the  wrong 
habit  with  correct  ones. 

As  suggested  in  the  last  lesson  concerning  dorit 
and  doesrit  it  will  help  to  have  the  correct  forms,  as 
given  in  the  pupils'  book  (p.  239),  on  the  board  where 
reference  can  be  made  to  them  as  necessary.  It  will 
also  help  some  pupils  to  have  their  individual  copies. 

If  your  children  are  unfortunately  afflicted  with 
the  hairit  as  well  as  the  airit  habit,  —  perhaps  using 
hain't  interchangeably  with  airit,  or  as  a  contraction 
of  have  not  and  has  not, —  try  to  eradicate  both  hab- 
its at  once  and  by  similar  methods. 

XII  (240).     The  Exclamation  Mark 

After  the  pupils  have  studied  the  lesson  by  them- 
selves, have  them  read  appropriately  The  Circus 
Parade  and  tell  why  each  exclamation  mark  is  used, 
like  this:  "There  is  an  exclamation  mark  after 
Here  it  comes  because  these  words  express  strong 
feeling — Harry's  excitement;  there  is  an  exclama- 
tion mark  after  What  funny  little  monkeys  because 
these  words  express  a  strong  or  sudden  feeling  — 
Will's  interest  and  amusement." 

Insist  that  pupils  read  these  expressions  in  a  way 
to  call  for  exclamation  marks.  Show  them  that 
they  are  not  really  reading  what  Harry,  Tom,  and 
the  other  boys  said  unless  they  read  as  the  exclama- 
tion marks  direct. 


230  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

Following  this  exercise,  dictate  The  Circus  Parade. 
Do  not  fail  to  exemplify  your  own  teaching.  So 
dictate  that  the  thoughtful  pupil  can  hardly  fail  to 
place  exclamation  marks  where  they  belong.  If  you 
fail  to  exclaim  in  dictating,  pupils  ought  not  to  use 
exclamation  marks  in  writing  from  your  dictation. 

Have  pupils  correct  their  papers  at  once  under 
your  direction.  Particular  attention  is  to  be  paid, 
of  course,  to  the  use  of  the  exclamation  mark;  but 
any  errors  in  the  use  of  other  marks  or  of  capitals  or 
spelling  should  also  be  corrected. 

XIII  (242).     Writing  Exclamations 

As  a  result  of  the  last  lesson,  the  pupils  should 
be  able  to  write  the  exclamations  of  the  people 
without  aid,  but  it  would  be  well  to  talk  with  them 
about  the  orders  that  officers  give  their  men,  before 
they  attempt  to  write  these.  Let  the  children  give 
such  orders  as  they  have  heard  or  know.  A  few  of 
these  might  be  written  on  the  board,  as :  Halt ! 
Mark  time,  march  !     Forward,  march  ! 

Pupils'  papers  should  be  corrected  at  once. 

XIV  (242).     Picture  Stories 

Take  a  lesson  period  to  interest  the  children  in 
one  of  the  books  mentioned  in  their  book ;  read  or 
tell  them  interesting  extracts;  encourage  them  to 
read  the  book. 

The  picture  stories  may  be  written  as  adventures 


"THE  DUMB   SOLDIER  "  231 

or  merely  as  dreams.     A  story  from  the  first  picture 
might  follow  an  outline  something  like  this: 

Boy  at  seashore  has  been  in  swimming,  rests  for  a  while  on 
warm  sand,  thinks  of  fish  who  swim  so  much  better  than  he,  wishes 
he  could  swim  like  a  fish,  wonders  how  they  live,  longs  to  see  ; 
fish  calls,  "  Swim  out  to  me  and  I  will  show  you  the  wonders  of 
the  deep;"  boy's  experiences  with  the  fish;  wakes  up  on  beach. 

Following  are  suggestions  of  two  stories  that 
might  be  made  from  the  second  picture : 

1.  Boy  wakened  very  early  in  the  morning  by  the  screams 
of  sea  gulls,  runs  out  on  beach,  watches  gulls  fly,  thinks  of  all  the 
strange  places  they  see,  wishes  he  were  a  sea  gull,  one  gull  invites 
the  boy  to  go  with  him,  his  experiences,  finally  while  crossing 
water  gull  shakes  him  orT.  Oh,  how  cold  the  water  is  !  Boy  wakes 
up  to  find  the  tide  has  come  up  and  wet  him. 

2.  Boy  finds  wounded  gull  on  beach,  cares  for  it,  it  is  a  fairy 
gull,  every  night  after  boy  is  in  bed  gull  taps  at  window,  boy 
opens  window  and  seats  himself  on  gull's  back  —  gull  has  power 
to  make  himself  big  —  and  away  they  journey  till  the  morning 
dawns. 

XV  (244).     "The  Dumb  Soldier" 

Read  and  discuss  the  poem  with  the  children. 
A  few  words  and  expressions  will  probably  need 
explanation.  But  the  chief  purpose  of  the  reading 
and  discussion  should  be  to  arouse  the  children's 
imaginations  and  sympathies,  so  that  they  will  see 
and  hear  and  feel  with  the  little  boy  and  with  his 
soldier  that  he  hides  in  the  ground. 

Following  are  the  words  and  expressions  most 
likely  to  need  explanation  and  illustration.  Are 
there  others  that  your  children  may  not  understand  ? 


232  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

Second  stanza :  First  line,  apace;  try  to  have  children  see 
the  beauty  of  the  picture  of  grasses  growing  and  spreading  so 
rapidly  (apace)  that  they  quickly  run  over  the  lawn  like  a  green 
sea,  covering  the  soldier's  hiding  place  and  rising  like  a  wave  to 
the  boy's  knee. 

Third  stanza :  Probably  the  soldier  was  of  lead,  hence  the 
leaden  eyes  ;  leaden  may  also  refer  to  the  color  and  the  expression, 
or  lack  of  expression,  or  feeling.  Scarlet  coat  and  pointed  gun 
marks  him  a  British  foot  soldier. 

Fourth  stanza  :  When  the  grass  is  ripe,  ready  to  cut,  the  scythe 
sharpened  (stoned)  and  the  lawn  mown  close,  then  the  hole,  the 
soldier's  hiding  place,  will  be  uncovered,  so  that  it  can  be  easily 
found. 

The  last  five  stanzas  make  especial  appeal  to  the  imagination 
and  the  feelings.  The  little  boy  had  hidden  his  soldier  in  the 
ground  not  through  cruelty  or  lack  of  feeling,  but  that  the  soldier 
might  have  the  delightful  experiences  that  the  boy  would  fain 
have  enjoyed  himself.  Doubtless  the  thought  of  his  soldier  in  the 
ground  stimulated  the  wonderful  imagination  of  the  boy  so  that  he 
could  almost  feel  that  he  was  enjoying  the  soldier's  experiences. 
Perhaps  he  often  thought  or  said  to  himself,  "  Now  my  soldier  is 
seeing  this ;  now  he  is  hearing  that." 

He  is  fully  confident  that  he  shall  find  his  soldier  again  quite 
safe,  after  "all  that's  gone  and  come."  When  he  finds  him,  will 
he  pity  the  poor  soldier  because  he  has  had  to  lie  alone  in  a  hole 
in  the  ground  all  the  spring  and  summer?  Not  a  bit  of  it.  He'll 
envy  him  because  he  has  lived  just  as  the  boy  would  have  lived, 
has  done  just  as  the  boy  would  have  done,  if  he  could  (sixth 
stanza) ;  he'll  envy  him  because  he  has  seen  (seventh  stanza)  and 
heard  (eighth  stanza)  what  the  boy  so  much  wanted  to  see  and  hear. 

Read  to  the  children  two  other  poems  by  Steven- 
son, Bed  hi  Summer,  and  The  Land  of  Storybooks. 
In  these  poems  he  expresses  similar  intense  delight 


"THE   DUMB    SOLDIER"  233 

in  living  close  to  the  life  of  nature  and  in  the  en- 
chanted realms  of  the  imagination ;  he  also  gives 
expression  to  similar  grief  when  he  is  deprived  of 
these  opportunities. 

And  does  it  not  seem  hard  to  you, 
When  all  the  sky  is  clear  and  blue, 
And  I  should  like  so  much  to  play, 
To  have  to  go  to  bed  by  day  ? 

—  Last  stanza  of  Bed  in  Summer. 

So,  when  my  nurse  comes  in  for  me, 
Home  I  return  across  the  sea, 
And  go  to  bed  with  backward  looks 
At  my  dear  Land  of  Storybooks. 

—  Last  stanza  of  The  Land  of  Storybooks. 

Study  with  the  pupils  the  questions  in  their  book. 
Let  them  talk  of  the  "fairy  things."  Were  they 
real  fairies?  Did  they  dance  by  the  light  of  the 
stars  ?  Did  they  climb  the  blades  of  grass  and 
slide  down  them  ?  Did  they  touch  the  soldier  and 
make  him  live  and  play  with  them  ?  When  the  sun 
came,  did  they  fly  back  to  fairyland  ? 

Or  were  the  "  fairy  things  "  little  insects  that  lived 
in  the  grass  and  crawled  about  and  over  the. dumb 
soldier  ? 

Of  what  were  the  bee  and  the  ladybird  talking  ? 
Did  the  bee  say: 

"  Ladybird,  ladybird,  fly  away  home ; 

Your  house  is  on  fire,  your  children  will  burn  "  ? 


234  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

What  answer  did  ladybird  make  ?  Or  were  the 
bee,  the  ladybird,  and  the  butterfly  going  to  the  fairy 
ball  ?  Or  did  the  bee  tell  the  others  of  all  the  honey 
he  had  gathered  and  stored  away  for  the  winter,  and 
did  he  tell  them  to  stop  playing  and  go  to  work, 
too? 

After  the  children  have  talked  freely  over  all  such 
possibilities  as  those  above  suggested  help  them  to 
tell  the  soldier  s  story. 

XVI  (248).     "The  Lost  Doll" 

Read  this  poem  with  the  children  and  help  them 
to  compare  it  with  The  Dumb  Soldier. 

How  did  the  dolls  experiences  compare  with 
those  of  the  soldier  ? 

How  did  the  feelings  of  the  girl,  as  she  thought 
of  her  doll  out  on  the  heath,  compare  with  the  feel- 
ings of  the  boy  as  he  thought  of  his  soldier  in  the 
ground  ? 

How  did  the  feelings  of  the  girl  as  she  found  her 
doll  compare  with  those  of  the  boy  when  he  found 
his  soldier  ? 

Let  the  children  speculate  on  the  terrible  ex- 
periences of  the  poor  lost  doll  as  she  lay  helpless 
on  the  heath,  the  cows  trampling  over  and  mangling 
her,  and  the  rain  beating  down  on  her  and  washing 
away  her  paint  and  her  curls.  Let  the  girls  tell  the 
doll's  story,  how  she  was  lost,  what  happened  to  her, 
and  how  she  was  found. 


WRITING   TRUE  STORIES  235 

XVII  (249).     Writing  the  Stories  of  the  Dumb  Soldier 
and  the  Lost  Doll 

As  suggested  in  previous  exercises  in  writing 
original  stories,  help  the  children  as  they  write. 
Let  them  correct  any  errors  at  once. 

Supplementary  Work 

Let  pupils  write  stories  based  (1)  on  Exercise  6, 
Chapter  Twelve,  as  suggested  in  the  Manual,  p.  265, 
(4);  and  (2)  on  Exercise  11,  same  chapter,  as  sug- 
gested in  the  Manual,  p.  268,  (2). 

XVIII  (250).     Writing  True  Stories 

Do  not  discuss  these  topics  with  the  children  as 
a  class  before  they  write  ;  that  would  tend  to  destroy 
the  originality  and  individuality  of  their  papers. 
Encourage  each  one  to  write  his  own  story,  which 
he  may  read  to  the  class  if  it  is  good  enough ;  let  it 
be  a  "  surprise  story  "  if  possible. 

While  children  write,  pass  from  seat  to  seat  help- 
ing individuals  according  to  each  one's  need.  Some 
are  perhaps  finding  it  difficult  to  begin  :  one  does 
not  quite  understand  what  is  required ;  another  can- 
not decide  on  the  word  to  write  first ;  a  third  cannot 
bring  himself  to  choose  between  the  subjects  sug- 
gested. Start  each  one  by  just  the  question  or 
suggestion  that  fits  his  particular  need. 

If  a  few  need  more  help,  as  they  may,  to  develop 


22,6  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

and  arrange  their  thought,  give  this  help  largely 
through  suggestive  questions.  Require  the  child  to 
answer  in  complete  sentences.  Question  in  such 
order  that  the  answers,  written  down,  will  make  a 
complete  and  interesting  story. 

After  papers  are  completed  and  corrected  by  the 
children,  with  such  help  as  you  may  find  it  necessary 
to  give,  have  some  of  them  read  and  discussed. 
Let  the  papers  read  be  as  different  as  possible. 
They  will  suggest  to  the  children  ideas  that  they 
might  have  used,  ideas  that  they  may  use  on  some, 
future  occasion. 

Several  periods  may  be  profitably  spent  on  this 
section.  Some  pupils  may  be  able  —  and  should  be 
encouraged  —  to  write  on  two  or  more  of  the  sug- 
gested subjects,  while  others  are  working  out  and 
perfecting  a  single  story. 


CHAPTER   ELEVEN 

The  work  of  this  chapter  calls  for  the  use  of  all 
the  knowledge  and  power  that  have  grown  out  of 
all  the  previous  work.  All  the  various  exercises  of 
previous  chapters  —  reproductions,  oral  and  written, 
dramatizing,  telling  and  writing  original  fables, 
picture  stories,  poem  study,  the  use  of  all  ma/ks  of 
punctuation  already  studied  —  are  continued  with 
new  and  interesting  material ;  increased  demands 
are  made  upon  the  children  to  exercise  their  grow- 
ing power  and  independence,  to  express  their  in- 
dividualities. 

The  distinctly  new  work  of  the  chapter  consists 
of  the  following : 

1.  Making  a  story  from  an  outline;  oral  and  written  ex- 
ercises. 

2.  Letter  writing. 

I  (251).     Making  a  Story  from  an  Outline 

This  is  an  oral  lesson,  the  first  one  of  the  kind. 
The  work  on  original  fables  in  the  preceding  chapter 
has  prepared  the  pupils  for  it.  This  goes  a  step 
farther  than  the  fable  work  in  its  demand  for  origi- 
nality, for  the  use  of  the  constructive  imagination. 

Study  the  whole  lesson  through  with  the  children 
so  that  they  will  understand  clearly  what  is  to  be 

237 


238  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

done,  and  that  the  scenes  and  events  suggested  by 
the  paragraph  headings  may  begin  to  shape  them- 
selves in  the  children's  minds  into  a  connected 
whole  —  which  is  to  be  expanded  into  a  story. 
Then  help  the  children  to  work  the  story  out  and 
to  express  it,  paragraph  by  paragraph.  Remember 
that  it  is  their  imagination,  thought,  and  expression 
that  are  to  be  exercised,  and  that  you  are  merely  to 
help.  This  does  not  mean  that  you  need  not  ex- 
ercise the  same  faculties.  On  the  contrary,  you 
must  at  least  equal  the  combined  mental  activities' 
of  all  your  children ;  for  you  must  be  quick  to  ap- 
preciate every  mental  picture,  every  idea,  every  ex- 
pression that  they  suggest. 

Paragraph  I.  Talk  over  this  paragraph  with  the  children  until 
every  one  has  a  vivid  mental  picture  of  the  burning  house,  the 
flames  and  smoke,  the  frightened  people,  the  firemen  with  hose 
and  ladders  thinking  that,  while  the  house  is  gone  past  their  power 
to  save,  every  one  who  was  in  it  is  safe.  Probably  most  children 
have  had  experiences  that  can  be  drawn  upon  in  building  up  the 
desired  mental  picture. 

Paragraphs  II  and  III.  These  paragraphs,  which  should  be 
largely  made  up  of  exclamations,  give  excellent  opportunity  for 
the  children  to  apply  what  they  learned  in  the  last  chapter  about 
exclamations  and  exclamation  marks. 

Get  the  children  to  give  a  large  number  of  exclamations  that 
the  child  might  use,  and  have  a  child,  or  children,  write  and 
punctuate  them  correctly  on  the  board.  Some  of  these  might  be  : 
"  O  Mother  !  Mother  !  "  —  "  Mother,  help  me  !" — "  Come  quick, 
Mother,  I  am  burning  !  "  —  "  Help,  Mother,  help  !  "  — "Take  me 
down,  take  me  down  !  " 


MAKING   A  STORY  FROM   AN  OUTLINE  239 

In  the  same  way  have  them  give  and  write  on  the  board  the 
excited  and  horrified  cries  of  the  people,  the  firemen,  the  mother 
(if  she  is  there  ;  perhaps  she  will  not  appear  on  the  scene  until  the 
fireman  has  tried  in  vain  to  rescue  the  child). 

When  a  sufficient  number  of  exclamatory  expressions  have  been 
secured,  have  the  children  select  the  few  that  they  will  use  in 
each  paragraph  and  give  these  their  proper  setting  with  a  few  ex- 
planatory words. 

Paragraph  IV.  This  paragraph  must  paint  a  most  vivid  picture, 
must  convey  the  tense  excitement  of  the  crowd,  the  desperate 
efforts  of  the  fireman ;  there  will  be  smoke  and  flame  ;  perhaps  a 
tottering  ladder  and  crashing  timbers ;  a  fireman  badly  burned 
and  almost  suffocated ;  perhaps  the  fireman  cries  out  his  failure  : 
"  It's  no  use  !     The  child  can't  be  saved  !  " 

Paragraph  V.  What  does  the  mother  cry  out  as  she  rushes  into 
the  burning  building?  What  are  the  cries  of  the  onlookers?  Get 
a  large  number  and  have  them  written  on  the  board  as  before. 
Then  select  a  few  and  make  into  a  paragraph. 

Paragraph  VI.  Is  the  mother  burned?  Is  the  baby  saved  and 
unharmed  ?  What  is  said  and  done  ?  Work  for  a  good  sentence 
to  end  the  story. 

Well  handled,  pupils  can  hardly  fail  to  get  into 
the  spirit  of  the  exercise,  to  become  filled  with  clear 
thoughts,  vivid  pictures,  strong  feelings  that  they 
want  to  express;  this  is  the  first  requisite  in  speak- 
ing or  writing  —  something  to  express.  The  second 
requisite  is  effective  expression.  This  you  have 
been  working  out  with  the  children,  paragraph  by 
paragraph.  It  is  now  time  to  begin  at  the  begin- 
ning and  tell  the  whole  story  connectedly.  Let  the 
teacher  do  this  first,  varying  at  will  the  expressions 
and  exclamations  already  discussed,  but  being  care- 


240  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

ful  to  make  a  concise,  well-connected  story.  Fol- 
lowing the  teacher,  let  several  pupils  tell  the  story. 
Encourage  originality,  variation  in  detail,  only  have 
the  outline  followed.     Also  insist  on  brevity. 

II  (252).     Writing  a  Story  from  an  Outline 

As  pupils  write  the  story  they  should  keep  their 
books  open  before  them  at  the  outline  given  in  the 
previous  lesson,  and  write  paragraph  by  paragraph. 
Give  your  undivided  attention  to  the  children,  pass- 
ing from  one  to  another  to  see  that  every  one  is 
working  intelligently,  and  to  give  a  bit  of  help,  by 
question  or  suggestion,  where  needed. 

Keep  constantly  before  them  the  idea  that  they 
must  think  just  what  they  are  going  to  write,  word  for 
word,  before  they  begin  a  sentence.  Ask  individual 
pupils  frequently  to  tell  you  just  what  they  are  going 
to  write  in  a  given  sentence  and  in  a  given  paragraph. 
Encourage  them  to  whisper  or  even  to  speak  softly 
to  themselves  the  words  they  are  to  use  if  they  find 
that  this  helps  them  to  think  clearly. 

Do  not  hurry  the  children.  Some  will  think  and 
write  much  more  readily  and  quickly  than  others; 
do  not  hold  these  up  as  examples,  as  standards  that 
all  should  reach.  It  often  happens  that  the  results 
of  these  rapid  workers  are  poor  or  mediocre.  What 
needs  most  to  be  emphasized  is  careful  thought. 
Dawdling  must  not  be  tolerated;  but  every  one  — 
the  slow  as  well  as  the  quick  thinker  —  should  be 


WRITING  A  STORY  FROM  AN  OUTLINE         241 

encouraged  to  take  the  time  that  he  needs  to  think 
out  to  his  own  satisfaction  what  he  wishes  to  write. 
Pupils  who  cannot  finish  their  stories  in  a  single 
period  should  put  aside  their  papers  and  continue  it 
at  a  second  or  even,  if  necessary,  a  third  period. 
The  object  is  not  the  completion  of  the  exercise, 
but  the  writing  by  the  children  of  the  best  stories  of 
which  they  are  capable. 

Every  child  should  succeed  in  this  exercise; 
every  child  should  complete  a  connected  story. 
The  child's  future  work  depends  upon  his  success 
or  failure  at  this  point.  If  he  succeeds  now,  and 
knows  and  feels  that  he  succeeds,  even  though  his 
production  may  be  poor  in  itself,  he  will  advance  to 
the  next  step  with  courage  and  confidence  and  build 
a  second  larger  success  on  this  first  one.  If  he  fails 
now,  if  he  is  allowed  to  leave  the  exercise  without 
having  completed  a  story,  if  he  knows  and  feels  that 
he  has  failed,  he  has  the  whole  weight  of  this  failure, 
in  the  shape  of  discouragement,  dislike,  and  indiffer- 
ence, to  handicap  whatever  efforts  you  may  induce 
him  to  make  in  future.  Always  insist  on  success ; 
never  permit  a  failure.  If  anything  like  a  failure 
occurs,  do  not  allow  it  to  be  left  as  a  failure ;  see 
that  it  is  buried  under  a  success. 

Correcting  papers. 

If  you  are  active,  as  already  suggested,  while 
pupils  are  writing,  they  can  make  most  of  the  cor- 


242  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

rections  necessary  in  their  papers  while  they  write. 
You  can  anticipate  most  of  their  errors  and  then  see 
that  they  are  corrected  at  the  right  time  —  before 
they  are  actually  made. 

It  will  do  little  good  —  probably  will  do  positive 
harm  —  for  you  to  correct  pupils'  papers  alone,  hand 
them  back  to  them,  and  require  them  to  note  the 
errors  and  corrections,  and  perhaps  to  rewrite  their 
stories  as  corrected.  Their  greatest  difficulty  is  in 
thinking  clearly,  in  deciding  exactly  what  they  are 
going  to  say,  and  not  primarily  in  the  form  of  expres- 
sion. True,  confused  thought  or  lack  of  thought 
will  reveal  itself  in  the  expression;  but  merely  cor- 
recting the  expression  on  paper  —  with  a  child  ten 
years  of  age  —  will  rarely  help  the  child.  You  must 
get  back  to  his  real  difficulty,  you  must  personally, 
face  to  face  with  the  child,  make  him  think  clearly ; 
then  he  will  write  clearly.  Correcting  the  child's 
written  errors  will  improve  the  particular  production  ; 
helping  the  child  to  think  will  insure  better  produc- 
tions in  future. 

Children  cannot  write  this  story  from  memory. 
It  was  not  the  purpose  of  the  oral  lesson  to  enable 
them  to  do  this.  The  purpose  of  that  lesson  was  to 
prepare  the  pupils  to  think  out  the  story,  each  one 
for  himself,  before  writing;  to  think  out  exactly 
each  sentence  before  beginning  to  write  it.  You 
are  anticipating  — and  so  best  correcting  —  the 
errors  that  might  later  appear  on  their  papers,  when 


"THE  KING'S   DREAM"  243 

you  compel  them  to  think  before  writing.  Let  the 
child  who  is  prone  to  err  tell  you  exactly  what  he 
proposes  to  write.  Then  let  him  answer  to  you 
these  questions:  (1)  Where  are  you  going  to  begin 
that  paragraph  ?  (2)  Why?  (3)  With  what  kind 
of  letter  will  you  begin  it?     (4)    Why?     (5)    What 

mark  will  you  place  after ?     When  you  come 

around  to  that  child  again  in  a  few  moments,  you 
can  see  at  a  glance  whether  he  has  done  what  he 
proposed  to  do.  Probably  his  work  will  be  cor- 
rect ;  if  not,  a  question  will  make  him  think  and 
enable  him  to  correct  it. 

Every  moment  of  this  patient,  insistent,  unremit- 
ting, close-range,  detailed,  and  individual  work  with 
the  children  is  being  built  into  right  habits  of 
thought  and  expression,  just  as  truly  as  the  general 
effort  to  teach  language  to  a  class  as  a  whole 
fosters  the  growth  of  carelessness  and  indifference. 
Individual  pupils,  not  classes,  learn  to  use  language. 

Ill  (253).     "The  King's  Dream" 

In  reading  this  story  with  the  children,  see  that 
the  various  feelings  of  the  king  and  his  wise  men, 
as  well  as  the  ideas,  are  adequately  expressed.  Let 
the  children  read  it  as  a  dialogue. 

After  the  children  have  studied  by  themselves  the 
questions  on  the  story,  ask  them  these  and  other 
questions  that  will  bring  out  the  full  meaning  of  the 
story  and  prepare  for  its  dramatization. 


244  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

IV  (256).     Dramatizing  the  Story 

If  the  children  have  been  allowed  from  the  begin- 
ning, as  repeatedly  directed,  to  assume  more  and 
more  responsibility  and  to  take  the  initiative  in- 
creasingly in  dramatizing,  they  should  now  be  able 
to  plan  and  carry  out  the  dramatization  of  a  simple 
story  like  this  with  very  little  help  from  the  teacher. 
The  preparation  which  the  last  lesson  gave  ought 
to  enable  them  to  try  it  with  confidence. 

To  stimulate  a  little  wholesome  rivalry,  divide 
your  class  into  two  groups.  Let  each  group  plan 
the  dramatization,  assigning  parts.  Every  child  can 
be  used  in  some  capacity,  as  soldier  or  wise  man. 
When  the  groups  are  ready,  let  one  after  the  other 
give  the  little  play.  Perhaps  a  few  children  will  be 
reserved  for  an  impartial  audience,  who  will  dis- 
cuss, at  the  close,  the  relative  merits  of  the  two 
productions. 

V  (256).     Oral  Reproduction  of  the  Story 

Without  further  preparation  the  children  should 
be  able  to  tell  this  story.  Work  for  brief,  fluent, 
straightforward,  thoughtful,  expressive  reproduc- 
tions. A  reproduction  must  not  be  allowed  to  de- 
generate into  a  mere  test  of  memory,  even. largely 
word  memory.  A  reproduction,  like  an  original 
story,  should  be  the  result  of  active,  discriminating 
thought  appropriately  expressed. 


SUPPLEMENTARY  WORK  245 

Supplementary  Work 

i.  Tell  the  children  the  story  below,  The  Two 
Doctors,  which  teaches  the  same  lesson  as  The 
Kings  Dream.  After  a  single  telling  let  the  chil- 
dren dramatize,  if  possible  without  aid  or  sugges- 
tion from  you.  Perhaps  the  same  two  groups  that 
dramatized  The  Kings  Dream  will  take  charge 
of  this  dramatization  in  rivalry. 

The  Two  Doctors 

Once  upon  a  time  a  king  was  ill.  He  sent  for  the  wisest  two 
doctors  in  the  land.  They  felt  his  pulse  and  looked  at  his  tongue. 
Then  the  first  doctor  spoke. 

"  O  king,"  he  said,  "  you  do  not  exercise  enough.  You  should 
give  up  your  carriage  and  walk,  and  you  should  play  games  or 
work  every  day." 

"What !  "  cried  the  angry  king,  "  give  up  my  carriage  !  Walk  ! 
Play  games  !  Work  !  I  will  have  none  of  your  advice  !  Leave 
my  court  at  once,  and  be  thankful  you  take  your  head  with  you  ! " 

The  second  doctor  said :  "  Your  case  is  a  very  strange  one,  O 
king.  Let  me  study  it  until  to-morrow.  Then  I  will  tell  you 
what  must  be  done." 

Next  day  the  doctor  returned.  He  gave  the  king  a  silver  cup, 
a  spade  with  a  golden  handle,  and  a  ball. 

"O  king,"  he  said,  "a  mile  from  your  palace  is  a  spring  of 
magic  water.  Every  morning  before  breakfast  walk  to  this  spring 
and  fill  the  silver  cup  from  its  waters  and  drink.  The  magic 
water  will  soon  make  you  well  again. 

"  After  breakfast  take  this  magic  spade  and  dig  for  one  hour  in 
the  fairy  glen  back  of  your  palace  garden.  If  you  will  do  this  for 
one  year,  you  will  become  very  rich. 

"  In  the  afternoon  take  the  ball  I  have  given  you  (it  is  stuffed 
with  magic  medicine)  into  the  court  and  toss  it  one  hundred  times 


246  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

to  one  of  your  little  pages.     If  you  will  do  this,  you  will  live  for 
many  years." 

"  You  are  indeed  a  wise  doctor,"  cried  the  king.  "  I  will  do  all 
you  say,  for  you  have  promised  me  health,  wealth,  and  long  life. 
As  a  small  reward  for  your  good  advice,  I  will  make  you  my  doctor 
for  life  and  pay  you  a  thousand  pieces  of  gold  every  year." 

—  A  Story  from  India. 

2.  Have  the  children  reproduce  the  story,  The 
Two  Doctors. 

3.  Let  the  children  dramatize  The  Two  Doctors. 
They  should  need  little  or  no  aid. 

VI  (257).     Dates 

Study  the  questions  about  the  dates  with  the 
children.  Make  sure  that  every  child  understands 
what  the  numbers  mean,  the  number  immediately 
after  the  name  of  the  month  and  the  number  of  the 
year. 

As  the  pupils  write  their  own  dates,  inspect  their 
work,  and  have  them  correct  any  errors  at  once. 
Let  them  give  reasons  for  any  changes  that  they 
have  to  make. 

VII  (258).     Writing  Dates  from  Dictation 

Have  the  children  write  several  dates  from  dicta- 
tion, one  or  more  in  each  month.  Let  them  correct 
their  work  at  the  time.  Few  mistakes  should  be 
made. 

This  lesson  is  in  preparation  for  letter  writing. 


HOW  TO  WRITE  A  LETTER  247 

VIII  (258).     How  to  Write  a  Letter 

Before  taking  up  this  lesson  with  the  children,  read 
the  two  following  lessons  in  the  pupils'  book  and  in 
this  Manual,  so  that  you  may  understand  the  full 
plan  of  these  first  lessons  in  letter  writing.  Perhaps 
a  word  of  explanation  will  help  you  to  appreciate 
this  plan  still  more,  and  so  to  carry  it  out  more 
effectively. 

The  first  purpose  —  as  in  all  language  work  —  is 
to  arouse  the  pupils'  interest,  to  stimulate  their 
thought  about  things  that  they  know  and  like,  to 
make  expression  seem  natural,  desirable,  and  useful. 
Hence  the  story  involving  a  real  child's  letter,  ex- 
pressed in  a  child's  language,  and  with  childish  en- 
thusiasm, and  filled  with  things  that  interest  all 
children.  The  letter  is,  of  course,  correct  in  form, 
but  the  content  —  as  in  every  letter  worth  while  — 
is  more  important  than  the  form.  The  letter  re- 
quires, suggests  an  answer.  Children  feel  at  once 
that  they  can,  and  so  they  want  to  reply  to  it.  In 
doing  so  they  observe  the  form,  not  as  the  main  pur- 
pose of  the  letter,  but  merely  as  the  form  that  a  good 
letter  should  have.  In  this  way  they  are  learning  at 
the  outset  the  proper  relation  of  form  and  content. 
They  are  learning  correct  form  much  more  surely 
and  easily  than  they  could  if  their  attention  were 
mainly  directed  to  this,  as  is  almost  inevitably  the 
case  when  classic  letters  of  well-known  authors  are 


248  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

used  as  models.  The  content  of  such  letters,  written 
to  or  for  children,  not  by  them,  is  usually  unreal, 
unchildlike,  lacking  in  power  to  arouse  children's 
interests  and  to  stimulate  their  imagination.  Hence, 
the  form  receives  undue  emphasis,  and  children  con- 
ceive a  distaste  for  letter  writing. 

Read  the  story  with  the  children  and  take  up  with 
them  the  study  of  the  letter,  following  the  questions 
and  explanations  given  in  their  book. 

The  address  on  the  form  of  the  envelope  given 
in  the  pupils'  book  (p.  258)  is  a  type  that  the  pupils 
may  copy.  Study  it  with  them,  having  them  note 
the  four  periods,  the  only  marks  used,  all  indicating 
abbreviations. 

The  two  forms  of  headings  (p.  261)  should  also  be 
carefully  studied  with  the  pupils.  Lead  them  to 
notice  all  the  marks  of  punctuation  and  to  see  the 
reasons  for  each. 

(Form  I.)  There  is  a  comma  to  separate  the 
name  of  the  town  from  the  name  of  the  state,  and 
another  comma  to  separate  the  whole  address  from 
the  date.  There  are  periods  after  N.  J.  because 
N.  /.  is  the  abbreviation  for  New  Jersey. 

The  writing  of  dates  the  children  have  already 
learned. 

All  words  in  the  heading  begin  with  capitals; 
they  are  all  names. 

(Form  II.)  This  is  the  same  as  Form  I  except 
the  first  and  additional  line.     The  comma  separates 


LETTER   WRITING  249 

the  name  of  the  avenue  or  street  from  the  name  of 
the  city;  the  period  after  Ave.  marks  the  abbrevia- 
tion for  Avenue.  The  name  of  the  state,  Michigan, 
as  in  Form  /,  is  abbreviated.  The  abbreviation, 
Mich.,  has  a  period  after  it. 

Pupils  should  be  held  to  the  strict  observance 
of  the  forms  given  in  their  book  until  they  have 
learned  to  write  them  without  error.  It  will  be 
time  for  them  to  learn  the  variations  of  these 
forms  —  variations  mainly  in  punctuation  and  ab- 
breviation—  that  are  quite  correct  and  in  current 
use,  when  they  can  write  the  given  forms  with 
confidence. 

Writing  the  Mechanical  Forms 

1.  Have  every  pupil,  some  on  the  blackboards, 
others  on  paper,  write  the  correct  heading  of  a  let- 
ter written  from  his  own  home. 

2.  Let  pupils  study  the  address  on  the  envelope 
of  Dick's  letter,  then  write  the  correct  heading  for 
a  letter  written  by  Tom. 

These  exercises  should  be  done  quickly,  in- 
spected, and  any  necessary  corrections  made  at 
once  by  the  pupils. 

IX  (262).     Letter  Writing  {Continued) 

Read  over  the  story  with  the  children.  The 
"  thinking  and  wishing "  of  Tom  is  given  in  detail 
to  let  the  children  see  what  things  would  naturally 
be   touched   on   in  Tom's   letter   to  Dick.     These 


250  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

things    are    repeated    again    when    Tom    tells    his 
mother  what  he  will  write. 

Keep  referring  to  Dick's  letter  when  Mother 
refers  Tom  to  it.  Let  the  children  look  back  and 
answer  for  Tom.  Have  them  tell  exactly  what 
they  will  write ;  as,  the  heading  — 

25  Walnut  St., 

Louisville,  Ky., 

May  11,  1912. 

The  next  thing  — 

Dear  Dick  : 

The  first  paragraph  — 

I  will  tell  you  how  I  got  hurt.     I  was  running  to  school,  etc.  — 

The  rest  of  the  letter  — 

I  thank  you  for  your  kind  invitation  to  visit  you.  I  am  coming 
as  soon  as  I  can  travel.  I  want  to  know  all  about  your  pets. 
Is  Rover  a  big  dog?  Where  do  Mrs.  White  and  her  kittens 
live  ?  etc.  — 

Have  children  tell  individually  just  what  each 
will  write. 

Have  several  tell  how  they  will  end  the  letter, 
as: 

When  I  am  strong  I  will  show  you  what  a  fine  swimmer  and 
diver  I  am. 

Your  loving  cousin, 
Tom. 


WRITING  A  LETTER   TO  A   FRIEND  251 

Next  summer  I  will  show  you  that  there  is  no  better  swimmer 

than 

Your  loving  cousin, 

Tom. 

When  my  leg  is  strong  again  we  will  have  a  swimming  match. 
Your  cousin, 
Tom. 

Have  several  good  endings  written  on  the  black- 
board. 

X  (264).     Answering  a  Letter 

You  are  to  be  Tom's  mother.  In  the  story  she 
prepared  the  way  for  a  good  letter.  While  the  chil- 
dren are  writing,  pass  from  desk  to  desk  asking  ques- 
tions, making  suggestions  to  see  that  the  pupils  are 
really  writing  an  interesting  letter.  There  may  not 
be  much  variety  in  the  letters,  but  they  should  all 
be  interesting  and  correct  in  form.  Use  the  letter 
Dick  wrote  as  the  type,  referring  the  children  back 
to  it  for  any  needed  corrections  in  form. 

Have  them  write  the  address  for  the  envelope 
either  on  a  real  envelope  or  on  a  square  or  oblong- 
drawn  on  the  backs  of  their  papers.  Here  they 
should  write  Dick's  full  name  — 

Mr.  Richard  Brown 
Harrisburg 
III. 

XI  (265).     Writing  a  Letter  to  a  Friend 

Have  each  pupil  write  a  letter  to  a  friend  asking 
the  friend  to  spend   next  Saturday  afternoon  with 


252  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

the  writer.  Each  letter  should  tell  just  what  the 
writer  wants  to  show  the  visitor,  what  they  will  play, 
what  they  will  do,  etc.  Talk  over  the  proposed 
letters  with  the  children.  Have  them  tell  you  just 
what  they  are  going  to  say.  Do  not  let  them  write 
a  word  till  they  know  and  have  expressed  orally  just 
what  they  want  to  say.  A  whole  language  period 
might  be  well  spent  in  this  oral  preparation  for  the 
written  letters. 

When  the  pupils  are  ready  to  write,  let  them  use 
as  a  type  the  letter  Dick  wrote  to  Tom.  Have  each 
child  write  to  another  child  in  the  class  —  to  a  child 
he  would  really  like  to  have  spend  Saturday  after- 
noon with  him.  See  that  every. child  has  a  letter 
written  to  him.  By  questions  and  suggestions  as 
they  write  help  them  to  avoid  and  to  correct  errors. 

XII  (265).     Answering  a  Friend's  Letter 

Give  the  letters  written  in  the  last  lesson  to  the 
pupils  to  whom  they  are  addressed.  Let  each  child 
answer  his  letter. 

While  they  write,  pass  from  seat  to  seat  helping 
them,  as  Tom's  mother  helped  him,  by  questions 
and  suggestions,  to  make  good  replies. 

XIII  (265).     A  Fable  to  Study 

This  fable  is  a  type  after  which  pupils  are  to  tell 
and  write  other  fables.  In  order  that  they  may  do 
this  intelligently  and   correctly,  they   must  master 


MAKING   NEW  FABLES  253 

the  type  —  the  mechanical  form  as  well  as  the 
story. 

Have  pupils  tell  orally  just  why  each  capital  and 
each  mark  of  punctuation  is  used.  For  variety  ask 
questions  as  follows : 

Which  words  in  the  title  begin  with  capitals  because  they  are 
important  words  in  the  title  ?  What  other  word  in  the  title  begins 
with  a  capital?     Why? 

How  many  paragraphs  in  this  fable?     How  do  you  know? 

In  the  first  paragraph  how  many  sentences  are  there?  How 
do  you  know?  How  many  of  these  sentences  are  statements? 
How  do  you  know? 

In  the  second  paragraph  how  many  sentences?  What  kind  of 
sentences  are  these?  How  do  you  know?  Give  two  reasons  why 
"  Dear  "  begins  with  a  capital  letter.  Why  is  there  a  comma  after 
"  Mrs.  Crow"?  What  abbreviation  is  used  in  this  fable?  Read 
the  whole  quotation  in  the  second  paragraph. 

Why  is  the  apostrophe  used  in  "fox's"?  Read  the  state- 
ments in  the  third  paragraph.  What  other  kind  of  sentence  is 
used  in  this  paragraph?     Read  it. 

In  the  last  paragraph  why  are  commas  used  before  and  after 
"  Mrs.  Crow "  ?  Where  is  there  another  comma  in  this  para- 
graph ?  Why  is  it  used  ?  Read  the  quotation  in  the  last  para- 
graph. 

XIV  (266).      Writing  a  Fable  from  Dictation 

Dictate  the  fable,  The  Fox  and  the  Crow. 
Have  pupils  correct  mistakes  as  usual  under  your 
direction. 

XV  (266).     Making  New  Fables 

Study  with  the  pupils  the  analysis  of  the  fable  of 
The  Fox  and  the   Crow    as  given   in   their   book. 


254  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

Make  sure  that  they  clearly  understand  the  content 
and  significance  of  each  paragraph  —  its  relation  to 
the  complete  fable.  This  perfect  understanding  is 
the  necessary  basis  of  the  original  fables  which  they 
are  to  make. 

Discuss  with  the  children  the  suggestions  for  the 
new  fables,  having  them  complete  the  outlines,  and 
suggest  a  variety  of  ways  in  which  the  fables  may 
be  worked  out  in  each  paragraph. 

What  does  one  animal  say  to  the  other  to  flatter 
him  and  make  him  let  go  his  prize  ?  The  cat  might 
say  to  the  kingfisher :  "  Let  me  hear  your  sweet 
voice."  —  "  How  can  you  open  your  beak  so  wide  !  " 
—  "I  once  saw  a  wonderful  sight.  A  bird  threw  a 
fish  up  in  the  air  and  caught  it  in  her  beak !  I  be- 
lieve you  could  do  that!"  —  "What  a  big  fish  for 
you  to  carry!  But  I  believe  you  could  carry  a 
larger  one  still.  Just  open  your  beak  as  wide  as 
you  can ! " 

What  does  the  flatterer  say  at  the  end  about  the 
folly  of  listening  to  flatterers?  The  wolf  might  say 
to  the  bear:  "Your  teeth  are  sharper  than  your 
wits."  —  "  Strong  teeth  may  catch  a  lamb,  but  only 
good  sense  can  keep  it."  —  "Never  listen  to  a 
flatterer  and  you  may  keep  your  lamb  as  well  as 
catch  it." 

After  the  possibilities  of  the  various  suggested 
fables  have  been  revealed  to  the  children  by  this 
discussion,  give  them  a  few  minutes  for  thought  in 


WRITING   A   FABLE  255 

which  each  one  shall  select  the  fable  that  he  will 
tell  and  think  just  how  he  will  tell  it.  The  fables 
should  be  told  briefly  and  fluently.  Each  should 
be  complete  and  pointed.  The  last  fable  suggested 
might  be  something  like  this. 

The  Weasel  and  the  Fox 

One  day  a  weasel  stole  a  chicken  and  ran  with  it  to  the  woods. 
A  fox  saw  the  chicken  and  planned  to  get  it. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Weasel,"  said  the  fox,  "  how  did  you  ever  catch 
that  chicken?  How  could  you  creep  up  so  softly  that  it  never 
heard  you?     Please  show  me  how  you  did  it." 

The  weasel  felt  flattered.  He  dropped  the  chicken  and  crept 
softly  over  the  ground.     "This  is  how  I  did  it,"  he  said. 

When  he  turned  around  the  fox  was  just  swallowing  the  last  of 
the  chicken.  "  How  silly  you  are,  Mr.  Weasel  ! "  said  the  fox. 
"  You  should  know  better  than  to  listen  to  flatterers." 


XVI  (268).     Writing  a  Fable 

Pupils  who  choose  to  write  from  any  of  the  out- 
lines given  in  the  last  lesson  should  be  able  to  do 
so  with  little  help,  as  those  fables  have  already  been 
discussed  and  told  orally.  Any  child  who  chooses 
an  original  title,  however,  should  have  attention. 
It  will  probably  be  well  to  have  such  a  child  at  least 
outline  his  story  to  you  before  he  begins  to  write. 
As  pupils  write  encourage  them  to  refer  to  the  type 
fable  (p.  265)  whenever  they  seem  to  need  such 
assistance  as  they  can  get  from  that  fable. 

In   having   papers   corrected,   pay  attention    not 


256  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

simply  to  mechanical  errors,  but  especially  to  the 
content  —  the  character  of  the  story  and  the  moral 
that  it  is  intended  to  teach. 

Supplementary  Work 

1.  Let  children  tell  fables  similar  to  those  out- 
lined in  XV,  but  varying  them  by  having  the  flat- 
terer outwitted.     Following  are  examples : 

The  crow  may  eat  her  cheese,  then  say,  "  Ah,  Mr.  Fox,  I  am 
not  so  easily  flattered.     I  know  I  cannot  sing  well." 

The  kingfisher  may  say,  as  he  clutches  the  fish  in  his  talons, 
"  Excuse  me  till  I  take  this  fish  to  my  little  ones ;  then  I  will 
gladly  sing  for  you." 

The  bear  may  hold  the  lamb  with  a  firm  paw  while  he  bares 
his  teeth. 

The  owl  may  hold  the  mouse  in  his  talons  while  he  answers 
the  cat. 

After  talking  over  with  children  various  possible 
endings  of  this  kind,  let  them  write  fables  with 
similar  endings. 

2.  Write  the  following  titles  on  the  board.  Chil- 
dren tell  what  the  first-mentioned  animal  had,  and 
how  the  second  secured  or  attempted  to  secure  it. 

The  Hawk  and  the  Cat 
The  Fox  and  the  Wolf 
The  Hawk  and  the  Eagle 
The  Goose  and  the  Fox 
The  Cat  and  the  Dog 

3.  Write  the  following  titles  on  the  board. 
Pupils  tell  who  tried  to  take  the  kid  from  the  wolf, 


"  AMERICA"  257 

the  mouse  from  the  cat,  etc. ;  how  he  tried,  and  how 
he  succeeded. 

The  Wolf  and  the  Kid 
The  Cat  and  the  Mouse 
The  Mouse  and  the  Cheese 
The  Robin  and  the  Worm 
The  Dog  and  the  Bone 

4.  Let  pupils  write  original  fables  that  teach  the 
lessons  taught  by  fables  3  and  11,  Chapter  Twelve. 

XVII  (269).     "America" 

Before  taking  up  the  detailed  study  of  the  poem 
with  the  children,  read  it  to  them  —  perhaps  several 
times  —  with  expression  and  feeling.  Read  it  so 
that  they  will  feel  as  well  as  understand  its  meaning ; 
indeed,  only  by  feeling  can  they  fully  understand  it. 

Then  study  it  with  them,  line  by  line,  and  stanza 
by  stanza.  You  may  need  to  give  further  explana- 
tions and  illustrations  than  those  in  the  children's 
book.  For  instance,  foreign  children  may  need  to 
be  told  that  the  author,  Dr.  Smith,  was  born  in 
America ;  hence  he  wrote,  "  My  native  country," 
etc.  Even  in  this  detailed  study  do  not  fail  to  rely 
largely  on  expressive  rendering  for  the  conveyance 
of  the  full  meaning,  which  is  often  beyond  ex- 
planation. 

When  the  children  understand  and  appreciate  the 
meaning  of  the  song,  —  as  fully  as  they  are  capable 
of  understanding  and  appreciating  it,  —  have  them 


258  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

memorize  it.  If  some  already  know  it  perfectly,  let 
those  prepare  to  write  it  from  memory  —  by  study- 
ing the  capitals,  the  punctuation,  and  the  arrange- 
ments of  stanzas  and  lines. 

Require  the  children  to  stand  whenever  the 
anthem  is  sung.  This  will  do  much  to  inspire, 
to  associate  with  it  appropriate  feelings  of  pride, 
patriotism,  and  reverence. 

Supplementary  Work 

Tell  the  children  something  of  the  author  of 
America.  Tell  them  of  the  time  and  circumstance 
of  his  writing  the  song.  Read  to  them  what  Oliver 
Wendell  Holmes  says  of  him  in  his  poem,  The 
Boys. 

XVIII  (274).     Writing  "America"  from  Memory 

This  exercise  may  be  given  in  regular  language 
periods,  —  it  will  probably  require  more  than  one 
for  most  children,  —  or  it  may  be  done  in  study 
periods  as  individual  pupils  have  time  for  it.  The 
object  is  to  have  every  child  learn  the  hymn  per- 
fectly. No  child  has  completed  this  lesson  until 
he  can  write  the  whole  poem  without  error.  And 
every  child  should  study  it  and  write  it  until  he 
has  thus  mastered  it.  Only  make  the  children  feel 
a  pride  in  this  achievement  and  it  will  soon  be  ac- 
complished. 


MORE  PICTURE   STORIES  259 

XIX  (274).     Picture  Stories 

(Child  drifting  in  boat,  p.  273) 

The  picture  tells  the  story  so  clearly  and  fully 
that  children  should  be  able  to  write  it  without  help. 
Have  them  correct  their  work  as  usual,  not  only  for 
form,  but  for  content  and  effective  presentation. 

Supplementary  "Work 

i.  Let  the  story  be  written  from  the  standpoint 
of  the  person  in  the  boat,  only  the  prow  of  which 
shows  in  the  picture  at  the  right. 

2.  Have  stories  written  from  any  of  the  pictures 
in  Chapters  One  to  Five.  These  pictures  have 
served  only  for  oral  stories. 

XX  (274).     More  Picture  Stories 

(Animated  toys,  p.  275) 

There  are  many  stories  of  toys  that  talked  and 
acted  like  real  folks  when  everybody  was  asleep. 
Tell  the  children  one  or  more  of  these  stories  —  you 
will  find  them  in  almost  any  book  of  fairy  tales. 
Two  of  the  best  are  The  Tin  Soldier  and  The 
Money  Pig,  by  Hans  Christian  Andersen. 

Now  tell  the  children  that  many  story-tellers  have 
written  stories  of  toys  who  could  live  and  act  and 
talk  like  real  people  from  twelve  at  midnight  until 
they  heard  the  first  cock  crow  in  the  morning. 
Then  let  them  write  the  story  this  picture  tells. 


CHAPTER   TWELVE 

The  stories  and  rhymes  given  in  Chapter  Twelve 
of  the  pupils'  book  may  be  used  in  a  great  variety 
of  ways.  In  general  they  will  serve  two  purposes. 
First,  they  may  be  used  as  needed  in  connection  with 
lessons  in  preceding  chapters.  They  furnish  further 
opportunities,  varied  and  interesting,  for  reproduc- 
tions, conversations,  dramatizations,  written  exercises, 
of  various  kinds,  and  drill  in  all  mechanical  forms. 

The  second  general  purpose  which  this  material 
is  designed  to  serve  is  that  of  reviewing  and  testing. 
Comparisons  will  show  that  these  twelve  stories  and 
rhymes  contain  all  the  forms  of  punctuation  and  the 
use  of  capitals,  that  have  been  taught  in  preceding 
chapters,  and  no  others.  They  also  furnish  the 
basis  for  all  kinds  of  exercises,  oral  and  written,  that 
have  been  subjects  of  study. 

The  following  suggestions  for  the  use  of  this 
material,  both  to  supplement  and  to  review  and  test 
preceding  work,  though  quite  numerous,  by  no 
means  exhaust  the  possibilities. 

I.     Suggestions  for  Using  the  Stories  and  Rhymes 

1  (276).     The  Proud  Crow. 

Several  uses  that  may  be  made  of  this  story : 
1.    To  test  pupils'  knowledge  of  the  use  of  the 

260 


SUGGESTIONS   FOR   USING   STORIES   AND   RHYMES   261 

capital  and  period.      In  this  case  the  story  should  be 
written  from  dictation  without  previous  study. 

2.  The  story  may  be  enlarged  by  supplying  more 
details.  As  a  help  to  this  exercise  read  the  com- 
plete story  of  the  proud  crow  as  given  in  Aisop's 
Fables,  or  —  if  it  is  to  be  dramatized  —  as  told  in 
the  Aldine  Second  Reader. 

3.  After  being  enlarged  or  after  the  complete 
story  has  been  told  or  read,  it  may  be  dramatized. 

4.  This  story  may  be  made  the  basis  of  exercises 
supplementing  the  work  on  quotations  in  any 
chapter. 

The  children  may  write  quotations  on  the  board, 
or  on  paper,  telling  what  the  crow  said  when  he 
found  the  feathers  ;  what  he  said  to  the  other  crows ; 
what  he  said  to  the  peacocks ;  their  answer ;  what 
the  crows  finally  said  to  the  proud  crow. 

The  exercise,  may  be  handled  somewhat  as  follows 
with  good  results.  Have  the  pupils  give  orally  the 
complete  sentence,  as : 

The  crow  said,  "  What  fine  feathers." 

The  teacher  writes  the  sentence  on   the    board, 
omitting  all  marks  of  punctuation. 
She  then  proceeds  as  follows : 

Is  any  one  speaking?  Who?  What  does  the  crow  say?  Put 
your  hands  around  the  words  the  crow  speaks.  What  marks 
should  be  placed  where  your  hands  are?  (Put  in  the  quotation 
marks.)  Read  the  quotation.  Read  the  rest  of  the  sentence.* 
What  mark  shall  I  use  to  separate  the  quotation  from  the  rest  of 


262  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

the  sentence?  (Put  the  comma  in  the  right  place.)  What  maik 
shall  I  put  at  the  end  of  the  sentence?  Why?  (End  sentence 
with  a  period.) 

In  a  similar  way  the  remaining  quotations  may 
be  written  and  studied.  There  is  no  way  more 
effective  for  giving  children  a  real  understanding  of 
quotations  and  the  correct  use  of  quotation  marks. 

Stories  2  and  4  (276). 

These  stories  may  be  used  in  ways  similar  to 
those  just  suggested. 

3  (276).    The  First  Fountain. 

This  story  may  be  used  (1)  as  a  study  lesson  on 
capitals,  the  period,  and  the  question  mark ;  (2)  as 
a  copying  exercise ;  (3)  as  a  studied  dictation ;  (4) 
as  an  unstudied  dictation ;  (5)  for  oral  or  written 
reproduction. 

Rhymes  5,  6,  7,  8,  9  (277-278). 

These  rhymes  may  be  copied  by  the  children ;  or 
they  may  be  memorized  and  then  written  from 
memory. 

Rhyme  5  (277).  In  addition  to  the  uses  given 
above,  this  rhyme  forms  the  basis  of  a  good  drill  in 
questions  and  statements.  Teacher  dictates  the 
question  : 

"Where  did  an  old  woman  live?" 

Pupils  write  the  question  dictated.  Then  they 
answer  the  question,  first,  aloud,  so  that  the  teacher 


SUGGESTIONS   FOR   USING   STORIES  AND   RHYMES   263 

may  make  sure  that  they  answer  with  a  complete 
statement.  Should  a  child  say,  "In  a  shoe,"  the 
teacher  asks,  "  Who  lived  in  a  shoe  ?  "  or  some  other 
question  that  will  bring  the  complete  statement, 
"  An  old  woman  lived  in  a  shoe."  When  a  satis- 
factory statement  has  been  obtained,  the  children 
write  it  under  the  question. 

Teacher  dictates,  —  "  Did  she  live  alone  ?  " 

Pupils  write  the  question  and  supply  an  answer,  as,  "  She  had 
many  children." 

Teacher  dictates,  —  "  How  many  children  had  she?  " 

Pupils  write  the  question  and  supply  the  answer,  as,  "  She  had 
so  many  children  she  did  not  know  what  to  do." 

The  answers  to  the  questions  read : 

An  old  woman  lived  in  a  shoe. 

She  had  many  children. 

She  had  so  many  children  she  did  not  know  what  to  do. 

Note  that  the  answers  form  a  unit,  a  complete 
story.  The  teacher's  conscious  aim  at  this  result 
determined  her  questions  and  the  satisfactory  an- 
swers of  the  children.  A  similar  purpose  —  that 
of  securing  connected  and  complete  thought  — 
should  dominate  and  determine  practically  all 
language  exercises,  oral  and  written,  no  matter  what 
minor  and  immediate  purposes  these  exercises  may 
be  designed  to  serve.  Every  exercise  of  this  kind 
is  training  the  child  in  sustained,  purposeful  thought, 
in    thought   that   gets   somewhere.     Much    use   of 


264  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

miscellaneous,   unconnected  sentences  is  positively 
demoralizing. 

Rhyme  6  (277).     Tell  pupils  the  following  story: 

Little  Bo- Peep 

One  day  Bo- Peep  drove  her  sheep  into  the  meadow.  Then 
she  sat  down  to  rest.     Soon  she  fell  fast  asleep. 

When  she  awoke,  it  was  nearly  dark.  Not  a  sheep  was  in  sight. 
Every  one  had  run  away. 

This  story  may  be  used  as  follows : 

1.  Pupils  may  reproduce  it,  (a)  orally;  (5)  in 
writing. 

2.  It  may  be  given  as  an  unstudied  dictation  ex- 
ercise. 

Pupils  should  be  expected  to  reproduce  it  in  writ- 
ing or  to  write  it  from  dictation  only  after  it  is  rea- 
sonably sure  that  they  can  spell  all  the  words.  They 
may  have  mastered  these  in  previous  study  of  the 
rhyme,  Little  Bo-Peep. 

3.  Have  the  children  tell  or  write  original  quota- 
tions telling  what  Bo-Peep  said  when  she  drove  her 
sheep  into  the  meadow  ("  Here,  little  sheep,  is  good 
sweet  grass.  Eat  all  you  want,"  said  Bo-Peep); 
what  she  said  when  she  sat  down  to  rest  ("  I  am  so 
tired.  I  will  rest  for  a  little  while,"  said  Bo-Peep) ; 
what  she  said  when  she  awoke  and  found  it  was 
getting  dark;  what  she  said  when  she  found  her 
sheep  were  gone.  If  this  is  to  be  a  written  exercise, 
have  the  pupils  give  each  sentence  aloud  before 
writing  it. 


SUGGESTIONS   FOR  USING  STORIES   AND   RHYMES   265 

4.  Let  the  children  tell  or  write  original  stories 
of  what  happened  to  the  sheep.  Where  were  they  ? 
Did  they  have  a  good  time  ?  Did  they  come  back 
to  Bo-Peep  or  did  she  have  to  find  them  ?  Did  Bo- 
Peep  ever  lose  her  sheep  again  ? 

5.  The  story  of  Bo-Peep  may  be  dramatized. 
Rhyme  7  (277).     This  rhyme  is  given  in  dialogue 

form. 

1.  Have  the  children  rewrite  it  in  complete  sen- 
tences, using  quotations. 

The  dog  said,  "  Bow,  wow,  wow  ! " 

The  man  said,  " " 

The  dog  answered,  "      ..." 

2.  Have  pupils  tell  or  write  a  story  telling  why 
the  man  spoke  to  the  dog,  where  the  dog  was,  and 
what  happened,  something  like  this  : 

One  day  a  man  saw  a  little  dog  limping  down  the  street. 
(What  had  happened  to  the  little  dog?     How  was  he  hurt?) 

The  man  said,  "  Poor  little  doggie,  come  here." 

The  little  dog  crept  to  the  man's  feet  and  held  up  his  lame 
paw. 

"  You  poor  little  dog,"  said  the  man  again.  "  I  wonder  whose 
dog  you  are?  " 

The  little  dog  barked.  He  tried  to  say,  "  I  am  little  Tommy 
Tucker's  dog." 

Did  the  man  understand  the  dog  ?  What  did  he  do  for  the 
dog?  End  the  story,  telling  how  the  dog  got  back  to  his  little 
master. 

3.  Have  the  pupils  tell  the  story  orally  or  in 
writing  as  the  dog  might  tell  it. 


266  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

Rhyme  8  (277).  1.  After  the  pupils  have  studied 
the  rhyme  by  copying,  studying  aloud  or  silently  the 
spelling,  punctuation,  and  capitalization,  or  after  they 
have  written  it  from  memory,  dictate  as  follows: 

This  little  pig  said,  "  I  went  to  market." 
"  I  stayed  at  home,"  cried  this  little  pig. 
This  little  pig  saifl,  "  I  had  roast  beef." 
"  I  had  none,"  cried  this  little  pig. 

2.  Let  the  pupils  make  up  stories  with  these 
titles: 

(a)  Why  the  First  Little  Pig  Went  to  Market 

(b)  Why  the  Second  Little  Pig  Stayed  at  Home 
(V)    Why  the  Third  Little  Pig  had  Roast  Beef 

(d)  Why  the  Fourth  Little  Pig  had  None 

(e)  How  the  Fifth  Little  Pig  got  Lost 

Let  each  pupil  select  one  of  the  above  subjects 
and  make  up  the  story  about  it. 

Rhyme  9  (278).  After  the  rhyme  has  been 
learned,  ask  such  questions  as: 

What  do  you  think  of  a  boy  who  would  eat  a  Christmas  pie 
alone?  Why  did  he  go  off  into  a  corner  by  himself?  (That  no 
one  might  see  him  and  ask  for  a  piece?)  What  do  you  think  of 
his  manners?  (He  put  in  his  thumb  and  pulled  out  a  plum.) 
Was  he  a  great  boy  ?  What  kind  of  a  boy  was  he  ?  (A  greedy, 
rude  boy.) 

Now  let  the  pupils  tell  or  write  the  story  of 
Jack  Homer,  the  Greedy  Boy, 

Once  there  was  a  little  boy  named  Jack  Horner.  He  was  a 
very  greedy  boy.  One  time  he  had  a  fine  Christmas  pie  given  to 
him.     It  was  a  big  pie,  just  full  of  juicy  plums. 


SUGGESTIONS   FOR  USING   STORIES   AND   RHYMES   267 

What  did  he  do?  What  did  he  say?  Was  he  punished  for 
being  so  greedy  and  so  rude  ?     How? 

10  (278).    The  Fable  of  the  Wolf  and  the  Goat. 

1.  Study  aloud  for  spelling,  punctuation,  and 
capitalization;  or  have  pupils  study  alone,  perhaps 
copying. 

2.  Dictate  after  study. 

3.  If  (1)  and  (2)  are  omitted,  dictate  to  test  the 
pupils'  knowledge  of  the  language  forms  used  in  the 
fable. 

4.  Have  the  fable  reproduced,  either  orally  or  in 
writing,  after  one  reading. 

5.  Have  the  children  make  original  fables  con- 
taining the  same  teaching,  using  this  fable  as  a  type 
form.     Here  are  a  few  suggestions  : 

(a)  The  Cat  and  the  Robin 

Robin  looking  for  insects  in  tree  ;  cat  tells  him  to  come  down, 
as  there  are  many  good  fat  worms  in  the  grass ;  robin  answers, 
"  I  would  rather  have  little  insects  than  be  eaten  by  you." 

(3)  The  Fox  and  the  Hen 

Hen  roosting  high  on  a  dead  tree;  fox  tells  her  the  wind  is 
strong  and  cold  ;  asks  her  to  come  into  his  warm  den.  Finish  by 
telling  hen's  answer. 

(V)  Have  the  children  find  other  titles  and  make  original  fables 
from  them. 

6.  Change  the  stories,  having  the  robin  listen 
to    the   cat,    the    hen   to   the   fox.      Let   fables    be 


268  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

finished  with  some  such  expression  as,  "  It  would 
have  been  better  to  rest  in  safety  on  the  cold  bough 
than  to  be  eaten  by  a  fox  in  his  warm  den." 

11  (278).    The  Fable  of  the  Boys  and  the  Frogs. 

1.  The  suggestions  for  the  treatment  of  fable  10, 
The  Wolf  and  the  Goat,  apply  equally  here. 

2.  Have  pupils  write  or  tell  these  stories: 

(a)  The  story  of  a  particular  frog  who  had  a  child  or  a  wife 
killed  by  a  stone. 

(b)  The  story  one  of  the  boys  told  his  mother  on  his  return, 
ending  with  the  resolve  of  the  boy  never  to  stone  frogs  again. 

(c)  The  story  of  a  dream  one  of  the  boys  had  —  that  he  was 
a  frog  stoned  by  some  boys. 

12  (278).    The  First  Forget-Me-Not. 

For  ways  in  which  this  story  may  be  used  see 
1,  2,  3,  4,  under  10  (p.  267). 

Give  pupils  the  story  in  the  form  of  the  poem. 

The  Forget-Me-Not 

When  to  flowers  so  beautiful 

The  Father  gave  a  name, 
Back  came  a  little  blue-eyed  one, — 

All  timidly  she  came,  — 
And  standing  at  the  Father's  feet, 

And  gazing  on  His  face, 
She  said  in  low  and  timid  voice,  — 

Yet  with  a  gentle  grace,  — 
"  Dear  Lord,  the  name  thou  gavest  me, 

Alas  !  I  have  forgot !  " 
The  Father  kindly  looked  on  her, 

And  said,  "  Forget-Me-Not." 


POEMS  FOR  ADDITIONAL  WORK  269 

This  poem  may  be  memorized  by  the  children, 
then  written  from  memory. 

Tell  any  other  stories  you  may  know  of  the  origin 
of  the  forget-me-not. 

II.    Poems  for  Additional  Work 

The  following  carefully  selected  list  of  poems  fur- 
nish varied  and  excellent  material  for  use  on  many 
occasions  and  for  different  purposes.  It  is  thought 
best  not  to  attempt  any  definite  directions  for  the 
use  of  these  poems.  You,  the  teacher,  will  be 
the  best  judge  of  this  matter.  What  poems  do  you 
especially  like  ?  Which  ones  do  you  think  your 
children  would  appreciate  ?  Which  one  especially 
fits  in  with  the  work  or  the  occasion  ?  Your  answer 
to  these  and  similar  questions  will  determine  the 
use  that  you  will  make  of  this  material. 

Determining  your  course  in  this  way  you  will 
probably  make  thorough  study  with  the  children  of 
a  considerable  number  of  these  poems;  many  of 
them  the  children  will  commit  to  memory.  Per- 
haps, first  and  last,  you  will  at  least  read  all  of  them 
to  your  class.  They  contain  a  wealth  of  literary 
material  which  may  enrich  the  thought,  the  imagi- 
nation, the  sentiments,  and  the  choice  vocabulary  of 
pupils  —  or  of  any  one  —  who  will  live  with  them 
sympathetically. 

The  following  brief  and  imperfect  analysis  and 
partial  classification  of  these  poems  in  accordance 


270  TEACHER'S   MANUAL 

with  several  purposes  which  they  may  be  made  to 
serve  will  perhaps  be  of  assistance. 

i.  Poems  of  information.  A  few  of  the  poems 
may  be  read  on  appropriate  occasion  for  the  sake  of 
the  information  which  they  contain.  For  examples, 
12  in  connection  with  history  lessons;  15  when 
studying  boy  life  among  the  Indians.  The  poetic 
form  conveys  the  spirit  as  well  as  the  mere  fact. 

2.  Story-telling  poems.  Every  one  of  the  first 
fifteen  poems  tells  a  story.  The  children  may  re- 
produce these  stories  in  prose,  either  orally  or  in 
writing.  If  they  are  to  write  them,  they  should  first 
study  the  printed  or  written  poem,  that  they  may 
master  the  spelling  and  any  other  forms  that  they 
may  need  to  use.  Poems  that  cannot  be  put  be- 
fore the  children  in  books  may  be  written  on  the 
blackboard,  or  hektograph  copies  may  be  made. 

3.  Poems  that  may  serve  as  the  basis  of  original 
work,  such  as  1,  3,  10,  11,  17.  For  example,  after 
hearing  10,  pupils  may  tell  or  write  stories  that 
the  ghost  fairies  might  tell. 

4.  Nature  poems.  The  poems  16-31  may  be 
used  in  connection  with  many  phases  of  nature 
study. 

5.  Character-building  poems,  or  poems  that  teach 
moral  lessons.  There  will  be  no  lack  of  occasions 
when  some  one  of  the  following  poems  can  be  used 
to  advantage:  2,  4-9,  14,  15,  38-42. 

6.  Poems  for  dramatizing.      Several  of  the  nar- 


POEMS   FOR  ADDITIONAL  WORK  271 

rative  poems,  like  2,  5,  6,  8,  9,  n,  15,  furnish  good 
material  for  dramatizing.  Of  course  suitable  prep- 
aration must  be  made  by  turning  the  story  of  the 
poem  into  a  prose  narrative,  and  telling  it  largely 
in  the  form  of  conversation  between  the  several 
characters  involved. 

7.  Poems  for  memorizing.  Any  of  the  poems 
are  worth  memorizing.  Encourage  children  to 
memorize  those  that  especially  appeal  to  them. 
Have  each  child  memorize  as  many  as  he  will 
voluntarily. 

1.  A  Good  Play Robert  Louis  Stevenson 

2.  How  the  Leaves  Come  Down  Susan  Coolidge 

3.  The  Land  of  Story  Books     .  Robert  Louis  Stevenson 

4.  The  Wind  and  the  Moon      .  George  Macdonald 

5.  The  Happiest  Land     .     .     .  Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow 

6.  The  Pied  Piper  of  Hame tin  .  Robert  Browning 

7.  Lucy  Gray ;  or,  Solitude .     .  William  Wordsworth 

8.  Goody  Blake  and  Harry  Gill  William  Wordsworth 

9.  The  Leak  in  the  Dike  .     .     .  Phoebe  Cary 

10.  Ghost  Fairies Frank  Dempster  Sherman 

1 1 .  Daisies Frank  Dempster  Sherman 

12.  Paul  Revere 's  Ride      .     .     .  Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow 

13.  The   Deacon's    Masterpiece  ; 

or,    the    Wonderful    One- 

Hoss  Shay Oliver  Wendell  Holmes 

14.  Little  Red  Riding  Hood  .     .  John  Greenleaf  Whittier 

15.  How  the  Robin  Came      .     .  John  Greenleaf  Whittier 

16.  April  Fools Emily  Huntington  Miller 

17.  Windy  Nights Robert  Louis  Stevenson 

18.  The  Song  of  the  Thrush  .     .     Lucy  Larcom 

19.  The  Blue  Bird Emily  Huntington  Miller 


272  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

20.  Down  to  Sleep Helen  Hunt  Jackson 

2 1 .  Jack  Frost Hannah  Gould 

22.  Robert  of  Lincoln    ....  William  Cullen  Bryant 

23.  Sweet  Peas John  Keats 

24.  The  Dove John  Keats 

25.  The  Night  Wind     ....  Eugene  Field 

26.  The  Brook Alfred  Tennyson 

27.  The  Throstle Alfred  Tennyson 

28.  The  Rain Margaret  Deland 

29.  Another  Blue  Day  ....  Thomas  Carlyle 

30.  Wild  Geese Celia  Thaxter 

31.  Winter  Song Emily  Huntington  Miller 

32.  A  Dutch  Lullaby    ....  Eugene  Field 

33.  Shadow-Town  Ferry  .     .     .  L.  D.  Rice 

34.  Lullaby  to  an  Infant  Child  .  Walter  Scott 

35.  A  Norse  Lullaby     ....  Eugene  Field 

36.  Sweet  and  Low Alfred  Tennyson 

37.  The  Sandman Marie  Van  Vorst 

38.  Pippa's  Song  (from  "Pippa 

Passes  ") Robert  Browning 

39.  Obedience Phcebe  Cary 

40.  He     Prayeth     Best     (from 

"The  Ancient  Mariner")  Samuel  Coleridge 

41.  Work Alice  Cary 

42.  A  Song  of  Easter   ....  Celia  Thaxter 

43.  Old  Christmas Mary  Howitt 

44.  Christmas  Bells      ....  Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow 

III.   Books 

The  following  brief  list  of  books  furnishes  a  fund 
of  good  literary  material  that  children  can  use  at 
once   in   the  various  exercises  called   for   in   their 

book,  —  in  oral  and  written  reproductions,  in  drama- 


BOOKS  273 

tizing,  in  turning  conversational  stories  into  dialogue 
form,  in  modelling  "  original "  stories  after  type 
stories,  in  the  making  of  outlines,  etc.  These  are 
stories  that  children  enjoy  and  appreciate,  and 
readily  assimilate.  They  may  be  told  or  read  to 
the  children  by  the  teacher,  or  children  may  read 
or  tell  them  —  after  preparation  —  in  turn.  This 
little  library  provides  abundance  of  enjoyable  silent 
reading,  as  individual  pupils  have  time  and  in- 
clination. 

Adventures  of  a  Brownie Mrs.  D.  M.  Craik 

Adventures  of  Pinnochio,  The     .     .     .  Carlo  Lorenzini 

Alice  in  Wonderland Lewis  Carroll 

Animal  Story  Book,  The Andrew  Lang 

At  the  Back  of  the  North  Wind      .     .  George  McDonald 

Beautiful  Joe Marshall  Saunders 

Book  of  Legends Horace  Scudder 

Book  of  Saints  and  Friendly  Beasts     .  Abbie  F.  Brown 

Celtic  Fairy  Tales Joseph  Jacobs 

English  Fairy  Tales Joseph  Jacobs 

Fables - y£sop 

Fairy  Tales Hans  Christian  Anderst 

Fifty  Fatuous  Stories  Retold  ....  James  Baldwin 

Five  Minute  Stories Laura  E.  Richards 

Household  Fairy  Tales Grimm  Brothers 

Household  Stories Grimm  Brothers 

How  to  Tell  Stories  to  Children      .     .  Sara  C.  Bryant 

Jungle  Book,  The Rudyard  Kipling 

Just  So  Stories Rudyard  Kipling 

Little  La?ne  Prince,  The Mrs.  D.  M.  Craik 

Little  Lord  Fauntleroy Mrs.  F.  H.  Burnett 

Old  Lndian  Legends Zitkala-Sa 


274  TEACHER'S  MANUAL 

Peterkin  Papers,  The L.  P.  Hale 

Pig  Brother  and  Other  Stories,  The    .  Laura  E.  Richards 

Second  Jungle  Book,  The Rudyard  Kipling 

Sir  Gibbie  {parts) George  Macdonald 

Snow  Baby J.  D.  Peary 

Stories  to  Tell  to  Children     ....  Sara  C.  Bryant 

Twilight  Land Howard  Pyle 

Uncle  Remus Joel  C.  Harris 

Water  Babies Charles  Kingsley 

Wonder  Clock,  The Howard  Pyle 

Wonderful  Adventures  of  Nils,  The    .  Selma  Lagerlof 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


